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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23753377">planet earth is blue</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sabraneadaz/pseuds/sabraneadaz'>sabraneadaz</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>as the world spins around [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Scientists, Alternate Universe - Space, And yes you read bradley walsh correctly, Astronauts, Banter, Domestic Fluff, Epistolary, F/F, Falling In Love, Family, Fan Soundtracks, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Getting Together, Light Angst, Mental Health Issues, NASA, Non-Chronological, Not actually NASA tho because we're brits, Playlist, Plot, Slow Burn, Space Flight, Unconventional Format, accompanying soundtrack in chapter 27, partial Epistolary, sheffield - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 16:34:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>35,732</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23753377</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sabraneadaz/pseuds/sabraneadaz</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Yaz had always imagined that the launch was the most critical part of a space mission, but compared to docking on the ISS it was a doddle. She knew that at that moment The Doctor – Doctor Smith – would be readying herself for a positively-videogame-like joystick ride straight into the station, which was bearing down on them in a seventeen thousand mile an hour freefall. </p>
<p>She was insanely jealous.</p>
<p> <span class="small"><strong>(The UK Space Agency are launching their first shuttle to the ISS, and Dr Jo Smith and Dr Noor Khan are the lucky astronauts on board. Astronaut/ground control AU. Semi-epistolary.)</strong></span></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ada Lovelace &amp; Yasmin Khan, Thirteenth Doctor &amp; Noor Inayat Khan, Thirteenth Doctor/Yasmin Khan, Yasmin Khan &amp; Ryan Sinclair</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>as the world spins around [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1859998</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>313</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>79</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I guess this is where my #astro au on tumblr has ended up! (url: <a href="http://folieassdeux.tumblr.com">folieassdeux</a>)</p>
<p>Title is from Space Oddity by David Bowie.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>3<sup>rd</sup> March 2020</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>BREAKING NEWS: </strong>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>Upday:</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Spacewatch: “Sheffield, we’ve got no problems!”</strong>
</p>
<p>UKSA’s Vega I shuttle launch goes off without a hitch!</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>AstroAspirationist </strong>
</p>
<p>[www.astroaspirationist.wordpress.com/12442/vega-i-launch]</p>
<p>
  <strong>Vega I is off!</strong>
</p>
<p>Who was watching the stream on the Beebs today? Vega I – the first ever shuttle flight to the International Space Station on UKSA’s new programme has launched!</p>
<p>After a shaky (literally) start, and a damaged launch pad, mission Vega I is a go on the first ever mission to the ISS from UKSA's newly built Mission Control Base in Sheffield.</p>
<p>It may not be the mission of the century, á la Apollo 11 or other trips by our American or Russian counterparts, but this mission represents something truly special for the British place in the space race!</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p><strong>Intl. Space Station</strong> @Space_Station 30m</p>
<p>Fantastic lift off by @UKSA on their Vega I maiden voyage. Looking forward to welcoming @Astro_JSmith and @Astro_NKhan on board! 🚀</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p><strong>UKSA</strong> @UKSA 1h</p>
<p>The first entirely British-led and directed, all-female space mission to the ISS @Space_Station from our Dartmoor base is a-go! This is an historic day for space exploration. See our footage of the launch below:</p>
<p>[Video]</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1.) The United Kingdom Space Agency (UKSA) is a real government agency which manages everything to do with British space exploration. In real life they don't have an astronaut corps but instead focus on uncrewed missions and satellites, etc. </p><p>2.) Spacewatch is a real magazine, which I don't know anything about.</p><p>3.) AstroAspirationist is a fake Wordpress blog. </p><p>4.) The International Station Station and UKSA Twitter handles are real.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Space Invaders</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>4<sup>th</sup> March 2020</strong>
</p><p>“I mean, you didn’t really expect to get chosen for this mission, did you?” Ryan asked.</p><p>It was weird, Yaz thought, how faces looked upside down. It drew your attention to the details you usually miss: the slightly uneven shape of a person’s chin, how much their lower lip moves when they talk, the slightly uneven way they fit together.</p><p>“Yaz?” Ryan prompted, giving her his full attention.</p><p>“Do you remember that trend a few years back when people would stick googly eyes on their chins and film themselves upside down?”</p><p>“Very funny. It would make you look a lot better though,” Ryan joked.</p><p>“Oi!”</p><p>Ryan gestured to the weights in front of him.</p><p>“Come down will you? I need you to spot me.”</p><p>Yaz folded up and lowered herself down from the chin up bar, where she’d been hanging from her knees. The blood rushed back into her body, and it was like the reverse of sinking into a hot bath.</p><p>“Ugh,” she complained.</p><p>“It’s your own fault,” Ryan said, “it’s not like you’ve got to do that for a mission.”</p><p>“Oh rub it in, why don’t you?” Yaz said, taking up position behind Ryan’s head on the bench press.</p><p>“Look, unless the Earth suddenly loses gravity in the next few weeks, you’re giving yourself headaches for nothing. And then we’ll all be stuffed anyway.”</p><p>“I want to keep up the habit, just in case,” Yaz said, even though she knew it was silly.</p><p>She’d been making regular visits to the Control Centre gym throughout the last year. Not just to keep fit but also to try and train her body not to feel nausea – the last thing an astronaut wants to suffer from is space sickness.</p><p>They both fell silent as Ryan puffed through his first set of reps.</p><p>“I’m just saying,” he said, panting a little, although he still kept his grip on the bar where it briefly rested on the rack, “that there was no chance of UKSA picking a student with no previous experience in space.”</p><p>“Yeah, I know,” Yaz conceded, voice quiet. “I just know that I could do it. I need something more challenging.”</p><p>“Being the first lead Capsule Communicator on an UKSA mission isn’t challenging enough for you?”</p><p>Ryan pronounced it ‘uhk-suh’. UKSA had long tried to promote their name as ‘U.K.S.A.’ but it had never caught on.</p><p>“Okay, okay, fine, I get your point!” Yaz said. “You’re right. Watching Vega I launch today and knowing I was part of it…”</p><p>“It was sick,” Ryan said.</p><p>“Yeah. Best moment of my life.”</p><p>And it had been. There was nothing comparable. All the weeks and months of preparations for the mission had led up to that point, and a successful launch could make or break the mission, the organisation, and Yaz’s future.</p><p>The control room had never been so silent in all the weeks Yaz had worked at UKSA. There was still the clacking of keyboards and incessant clicking as they channelled the shuttle’s data readings, counted the seconds down, but a hush had descended over the room and not one person spoke. Dr Ramesh Sunder, the Flight Director, had stood on a raised platform just behind Yaz’s booth, gripping the rail and with his eyes glued to the cinematic screen streaming live from Dartmoor.</p><p>And then the shuttle had launched. A whisper of glee rippled through the room, but Yaz had been fixed on the sight of the shuttle as it blew out great gusts of white smoke and fire beneath it, as it shot up and up into the sky and then broke through the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere in quick succession.</p><p>The shuttle strayed true and intact.</p><p>And then the room had erupted.</p><p>Ryan had jumped out of his seat beside Yaz, fist pumping the air. Yaz herself couldn’t stop her excitement from propelling herself out of her seat, and found Ramesh high fiving her in celebration of the successful launch. There was a press officer in the corner broadcasting a live feed of the UKSA control room over Twitter, and Yaz imagined the clamour of whoops and cheers turning to static through the microphone.</p><p>She’d turned back to the screen which was replaying the launch footage, and wondered what it would feel like in that shuttle. To feel the rocket firing up and rumbling underneath you like a beast, strapped into it like a bullet shot through space.</p><p>Yaz drew her attention back to the gym again as Ryan took the bar up for another set.</p><p>“I just hope it’s not long ‘til the next mission,” she said.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Six hours after the launch Ryan and Yaz were back in the control room. Vega I had pulled off a successful Hohmann Transfer, leaving them in the same orbital path as the International Space Station.</p><p>The docking process was entirely in the hands of Dr Smith and Dr Khan at this point, and all those in mission control could do was monitor their progress. Two engineers had taken over the comms during the intervening hours just in case of any mechanical emergencies that could crop up after the launch.</p><p>“Vega I, this is your CAPCOM at Sheffield. I’ll see you through docking. Over.” Yaz said, amplifying the feed over the din of the room.</p><p>“Sheffield, this is Vega I,” Dr’s Khan’s voice, “We’re hearing you loud and clear, over.”</p><p>“Vega I, your orbit is looking good. Well done on a successful transfer. Over.”</p><p>“Sheffield, tell Ramesh he owes me a tenner. Over.”</p><p>That was Dr Smith’s voice cutting in. Yaz suppressed a smile.</p><p>“Roger that. Tell Dr Sunder he owes Dr Smith ten pounds. Over.”</p><p>Yaz giggled when she saw Ramesh shaking his head out of the corner of his eye.</p><p>“This is Vega I. Please be assured Dr Smith will not be interrupting comms further. Over.”</p><p>“Roger that,” Yaz confirmed again, “stand by for further trajectory data. Over.”</p><p>There was a quiet period while trajectory data was simulated, compiled, and transferred to the shuttle.</p><p>Ryan turned to Yaz, briefly muting their sides of the feed.</p><p>“This is gonna sound weird, but my grandad’s trying out HAM radio, and he wants us to help him connect with the ISS.”</p><p>“What?” Yaz asked, thrown by the odd invitation.</p><p>Ryan rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I know. I told him about the range problems but he’s set on it. He and his mate go star gazing up the hill and I don’t wanna be bored out my skull on my own.”</p><p>“Jesus Ryan, don’t you think I’ve got enough to do-“</p><p>“Come on Yaz. Don’t do me like this.”</p><p>“Ugh, fine, alright. But I’m not messing with the comms systems over here just so your pops can get his kicks.”</p><p>“Thank Yaz, you’re a legend.”</p><p>Yaz levelled him with an unimpressed look, which she couldn’t help stretching into a smile at the stupidly over-earnest look on his face.</p><p>Then the Trajectory Officer signalled to her, and she turned back to the comms.</p><p>“Vega I, this is Sheffield.”</p><p>“Hi Sheffield. Loud and clear.”</p><p>“You should have received comprehensive data on angle correction and your U-turn manoeuvre. Over.”</p><p>“Copy that. Data received. Over.”</p><p>“Vega I, confirm fuel usage. Over.”</p><p>“Sheffield, fuel usage is lower than predicted. We are adjusting shuttle position ready for the U-turn. Over.”</p><p>“Five minutes,” Ryan said to her in an undertone.</p><p>“Vega I, manoeuvre is a GO. Docking procedure to begin in four minutes and fifty seconds. Over.”</p><p>Yaz had always imagined that the launch was the most critical part of a space mission, but compared to docking on the ISS it was a doddle. She knew that at that moment The Doctor – Doctor Smith – would be readying herself for a positively-videogame-like joystick ride straight into the station, which was bearing down on them in a seventeen thousand mile an hour freefall.</p><p>She was insanely jealous.</p><p>“Sheffield, this is Vega I. U-turn is completed and we’re in position for docking. Over.”</p><p>“Roger that Vega I. Prepare to line up. Docking is a GO in four minutes. Great timing. Over.”</p><p>The static crackled back on as Dr Khan prepared to answer, and the whole control room could hear muffled chattering and yelling in the background. An amused huff puffed through the speakers, and then they fell quiet.</p><p>Yaz gripped her microphone closer to her mouth.</p><p>“Come in, Vega I.”</p><p>“This is Vega I. We hear you loud and clear. My crewmember seems to have been replaced by a child with a new Xbox. Over.”</p><p>“Vega I, as long as the child can dock a spaceship, we’ll roll with the exchange. Over.”</p><p>Ramesh shot her a look, eyebrows raised, and she waved him off with a gesture.</p><p>“Vega I, docking is a GO in 3 minutes…2 minutes….1 minutes 30 seconds.”</p><p>“This is Vega I, confirmation on angle please. Over.”</p><p>The Flight Dynamics Officer signalled in the affirmative, and he and the Trajectory Officer turned back to their screens.</p><p>“Vega I, your angle is good, stay on this trajectory. Docking in 50 seconds.”</p><p>The room had fallen silent again, and Yaz felt an anxious roil in her gut. There was no sound except her voice counting down the seconds to either success or failure.</p><p>“Thirty seconds,” she said, gripping the desk. She felt the strain in her knuckles.</p><p>“Vega I, docking in 25 seconds. Report once you are safely docked. This is mission control over and out.”</p><p>“Roger that, Sheffield.”</p><p>And then the line crackled into silence, and every head in the room turned to the tracking projection on the screen. They watched as the two circles drew closer, closer, and then flashed together.</p><p>Silence reigned.</p><p>“Come on...come on…” Ryan muttered.</p><p>And then the audio flared back to life.</p><p>“Mission Control this is Dr Smith, successfully docked on the International Space Station. Before you ask, fuel levels are as predicted and there are no injuries. Shuttle sustained minimal damage on boarding. God, I want to do that again. Any chance of a replay? Oh, whoops. Over!”</p><p>Yaz couldn’t help it. She burst out laughing. Ryan pushed at her shoulder with a big grin on his face.</p><p>“Vega I, this is Sheffield. Congratulations on a successful dock, but there’s no chance of a replay I’m afraid. Finish docking procedures and report at 18:00 hours GMT. We’ll expect a comprehensive damage report. Over.”</p><p>“No rest for the wicked, eh, Sheffield? See ya at 6! Over and out.”</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1.) To write this chapter I took a look at the Apollo 11 comms transcripts on the NASA website. I know nothing about science and understood maybe 5% of what I read :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Call Me Jo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Quick time jump :)</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>12<sup>th</sup> April 2020</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>WhatsApp: [1 unread message]</p><p>
  <strong>Sonya</strong>
</p><p>Did you stay at base last night?</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Waking up was the easiest thing Yaz had ever done. She pressed her cheek deeper into the cushions. Usually she felt disoriented when she came around somewhere unfamiliar, like the library or the break room at work, but this time she just felt content. She blinked open her eyes. The curtains had fallen open in the night, and the sun filtering through the blinds behind them lay across the Doctor in long, gentle fingers. She was lying beside Yaz, sprawled out on her front in a mess of rumpled duvet and electrified hair. Her eyelashes were picked out in gold.  </p><p>Yaz rubbed the sleep from her eyes and settled back into the pillows.</p><p>The Doctor looked younger in sleep somehow. The laugh lines around her eyes and mouth had smoothed out, and she just looked soft, unguarded. Something squeezed inside Yaz, precarious and tender. She reached out and brushed a lock of the Doctor’s hair back behind her ear.</p><p>This feeling that had lit up inside her over the last month didn’t scare her. It was new, but Yaz had always taken new things in stride.</p><p>Perhaps it was unusual that at the age of 28 this was the first interest she’d ever taken in anyone. She’d just always been so ambitious and the thought of dating never appealed. But Yaz thought that if you put aside their unusual circumstances in UKSA, then this was probably as organic as it could get.</p><p>Yaz resolved to nurture it.</p><p>Quietly, she slipped out of the bed, and padded across the small house into the Doctor’s kitchen. She collected the empty glasses from the coffee table as she went. The Doctor was almost dead on her feet after they’d eaten, but she’d dug out an old oversized t-shirt and pyjama bottoms and insisted Yaz stay the night.</p><p>The Doctor hadn’t been meant to return to her house for another couple of weeks at the earliest, so Yaz wasn’t at all surprised to find the cupboards were mostly bare. No perishables; no bread, no milk. There were five eggs in the fridge, an unopened block of cheese, and sun dried tomatoes, along with an open packet of processed meat. The biscuit cupboard was fully stocked.</p><p>“Omelettes it is then,” Yaz said, and started preparing the eggs.</p><p>She was grating cheese when two thin arms wrapped around her from behind.</p><p>“Morning, Yaz,” the Doctor said, voice rough and warm from sleep. “What ya doing?”</p><p> </p><p>“Feeding you,” Yaz replied. She leaned back into the Doctor a little, but she was careful not to jostle her too much.</p><p>The Doctor buried her face in her neck for a moment, and Yaz wanted to embrace her but her hands were all sticky with cheese.</p><p>“Are you secretly a bit of a homebody, Yaz?” asked the Doctor.</p><p>“You wish. Just wait, soon enough you’ll be looking after me post-mission.”</p><p>“I hope so,” replied the Doctor, and the warm feeling flared up in Yaz’s chest again.</p><p>“Cheese and tomato omelettes okay?” Yaz said.</p><p>“Perfect,” the Doctor said. She unwrapped herself from Yaz and steadied herself against the counter as she turned to the bathroom. “I’m gonna go wash up.”</p><p>Yaz watched as the Doctor made her way out. She was walking almost without any trouble now, but bruises still bloomed dark on her arms. She was a kaleidoscope of green and purple.</p><p>Yaz put the cheese aside and dug out some salt, pepper, and dried basil, but she was stumped when she tried to find a pan.</p><p>“Hey, Doctor,” she called, “I need a frying pan.”</p><p>“There’s a cupboard in the living room,” the Doctor called back.</p><p>Yaz found the frying pan, and she wondered if the Doctor would mind her rearranging her entire house so it made sense. There wasn’t even any oil or butter around, so Yaz used the excess from the tomatoes, and she had just finished plating up the first omelette when the Doctor came back in.</p><p>“That one for me?” she asked, and Yaz handed her the plate. The Doctor planted a kiss on her cheek.</p><p>“By the way, you need to start calling me Jo,” she said.</p><p>“Alright, Jo,” Yaz replied, and ushered her over to the table. “Go eat, I’ll be there in a minute.”</p><p>“Thanks, Yaz,” Jo said, and she settled down to eat her food.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Pen Is Mightier</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>4<sup>th</sup> March 2020</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><strong>The Doctor</strong> @Astro_JSmith 1h</p><p>Settling in to my new pad! @Space_Station</p><p>[Image Alt Text: a blonde woman in a blue t-shirt and culottes strikes a pose in midair. She is brandishing a chrome pen and her hair is fanned out around her.]</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>The launch debrief had just wrapped up, and only the Doctor and Yaz were still on the line. Yaz was flicking through Twitter absently as she clarified some notes to compile in her report.</p><p>She saw the Doctor had already sent her first Vega I tweet out into the world, and the photo of her floating through the station had a suitably hectic energy about it. But Yaz was distracted by the tool she was holding. It was shaped like a pen, but almost the size of one of those tourist gag gift pencils, and it was shaped like something a lot more intimate. Yaz was pretty sure no-one had ever taken a vibrator into space.</p><p>“Doctor, what’s up with your pen?” Yaz asked, curiosity warring with trepidation. With the Doctor, the simplest questions you could ask often have the wildest answers.</p><p>“My pen?” The Doctor sounded confused. “Oh. Oh wait, you mean my sonic?”</p><p>“Your sonic,” Yaz repeated, flatly. Already this was a level above the answer she expected. “I saw your tweet earlier.”</p><p>“Yeah, sonic screwdriver. It is actually a pen, right, with a pressurised ink cartridge-“</p><p>“Right, but everyone’s got one of those. Doctor Khan’s got one of those but it’s UKSA standard issue.”</p><p>“Oh, those, rubbish. Better than NASA pens but you wouldn’t want to be lumbered with either of them in space. Keep that in mind for your next mission Yaz; it’s the best piece of advice you’ll ever get.”</p><p>“Right,” Yaz agreed, privately thinking she would probably have bigger worries in zero gravity than her stationery choices. “So what about the screwdriver thing then? And the sonic thing?”</p><p>“Wrong question, Yaz. The question you should be asking is <em>why</em> do we need pens in space? What’s the point of carrying a pen around with you? We’ve got computers up here! We can type and email and upload any information we need to, and we have constant audio communication at our fingertips. Fingertips? Ear-tips? Nah, that makes us sound like Vulcans-“</p><p>“So why have a pen, then?”</p><p>“It’s multi-purpose! I’ll have to show you it at base next month. It actually can be used as a screwdriver too, as well as a wrench and a knife. There even a little microscope lens set into the handle, and I’m pretty sure I set a Tamagotchi in one of the compartments at some point. Oh no! I bet Bob is dead. I loved Bob.”</p><p>Yaz shook her head. She didn’t know where to start.</p><p>“You play Tamagotchi?” she asked, bewildered.</p><p>“Yeah, of course! Well I did anyway. Don’t anymore. Not now Bob’s dead.”</p><p>“Okay, putting all that weirdness aside, what’s the sonic part about?”</p><p>“Oh yeah, it makes a cool noise.”</p><p>“That’s all?”</p><p>“What do you mean that’s all?” the Doctor demanded, up in arms. “That’s the best part! It also uses sonic waves to levitate small objects.”</p><p>“Wait. That’s like- that’s cutting edge science!” Yaz exclaimed. If the Doctor was telling the truth then she was utilising peak sonic technology available outside experimental ultrasonic surgery.</p><p>“Not sure about that. At some point I’m planning on integrating the screwdriver with the ISS’s digital system so we can use it for portable handheld ultrasounds, instead of all that bulky equipment in the med bay. <em>That</em> will be pretty cutting edge.”</p><p>Right. Yaz should have expected that.</p><p>“Is there any aspect of space travel you don’t meddle in, Doctor?”</p><p>“Meddling’s my middle name, Yaz. This is the kind of thing UKSA and NASA are missing! Mathematics and physics is nothing without the creativity to apply it.”</p><p>Despite herself, Yaz was suitably impressed, even if the ‘sonic screwdriver’ looked like a futuristic vibrator.</p><p>“You should patent that before someone steals the idea,” Yaz said.</p><p>“Nah, no-one will figure out how to make it apart from me, don’t worry.”</p><p>“How did you make it?” Yaz asked, wondering if maybe someone should check out their inventory in engineering.</p><p>“Mostly from melted down spoons,” the Doctor replied, and for the life of her Yaz couldn’t tell if it was a joke or not.</p><p>As outrageous as the whole thing sounded (but then again, they were <em>astronauts</em>, exploring space, exploring things beyond their own understanding, so really outrageous is their schtick) Yaz pulled her professional demeanour back around her. After all, this was her job.</p><p>“Are the medical alterations something you were planning on pursuing this mission?” Yaz asked, already predicting Dr Sunder’s exasperation. As Flight Director of the first UKSA mission, he wanted things to go smoothly and according to plan. “Because I’d advise you to petition UKSA for a separate mission to do that. The stakes are too high to go off schedule here.”</p><p>“What, and then wait another ten years for UKSA to run a million prelim tests and have endless meetings about it, when I can just experiment up here myself?”</p><p>Yaz felt irritation bubble up inside her. The Doctor had a reputation amongst mission control crews for being difficult to work with, and notorious for abandoning mission directives, but interfering with the medical equipment on board the ISS without authorisation was dangerous, and definitely a step too far.</p><p>“Look, if you need materials or extra time allocated towards these tests then we can come up with a game plan and I’ll put it to the medical and engineering teams. But I’ll warn you, Doctor Sunder isn’t gonna be happy.”</p><p>“Yaz… it is okay me calling you Yaz right?”</p><p>“Only my friends call me Yaz,” she replied automatically.</p><p>“Perfect! Tell you what, Yaz. I’ll let you know the results of some of my preliminary tests, yeah? It’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission.”</p><p>“Doctor-“</p><p>“Now, don’t we need to sort out Noor’s spacewalk tomorrow?”</p><p>By all rights Yaz should be irritated at the Doctor’s ego, which was clearly huge, but somehow she was just in awe of her knowledge, and impressed by her balls.</p><p>Yaz cleared her throat, and they got down to brass tacks.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1.) I've written probably 70% of this fic so far and my browser history is a <i>mess</i> but I've gone from knowing absolutely nothing about space to knowing some really useless information about space so I'm calling it a win<br/>2.) Scientists have actually made sonic thingymabobs which levitate small objects<br/>3.) The ISS does indeed have medical equipment for ultrasounds</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Vermicious Knids</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>5<sup>th</sup> March 2020</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>UKSA: Vega I: Spacewalk I: 05/03/2020: Transcript</strong>
</p><p>CC = CAPCOM</p><p>CC-A: CAPCOM Assistant</p><p>VK = Vega Khan</p><p>VS = Vega Smith</p><p>EVA = Extravehicular Activity</p><p>SAFER = Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue (Jet thrusting safety equipment)</p><p> </p><p>CC: Doctor Khan, please report. Over.</p><p>VK: The airlock is secure. I’ve been breathing oxygen for two hours now and nitrogen levels are low.</p><p>CC: And how are you feeling? Any nausea?</p><p>VK: Thankfully space sickness hasn’t been a problem.</p><p>VK: I’m currently checking my tool tethers.</p><p>CC: Okay let’s do a quick equipment check.</p><p>VS: I checked it all personally before Noor set off.</p><p>CC: Alright. So you can both confirm there are no issues with the suit and the toolbox is fully stocked?</p><p>VS: Aye aye.</p><p>CC: And Doctor Khan, you have full use of your SAFER?</p><p>VK: Yes.</p><p>CC: Okay. So we’re just going to run through a standard recon EVA.</p><p>VK: And I will check the exterior damage.</p><p>CC: Yeah. You’ve got the feed going in your visor and we’ll compile a full catalogue of damage. If there are any low priority repairs try to get them done.</p><p>VS: I’m pretty sure there’s minor damage across most of the exterior. She’ll need a second pair of hands.</p><p>CC: Roger that. Doctor Khan please use your judgement on which repairs will make best use of the next four hour slot. We’ll sort the details of your joint EVA later.</p><p>VK: Roger that. I’ve got the basics and several portable footholds if needed.</p><p>CC: Great.</p><p>VK: It is a simple recon. I will be done in two hours.</p><p>VS: I’ll take you up on that. One hour forty minutes.</p><p>VK: Is that not counterproductive? If I were a lesser person I would be encouraged to go slower and win the bet.</p><p>CC-A: I’ll bet three hours.</p><p>VS: Oh, ye of little faith. Doctor Khan’s offended now.</p><p>CC: Mission Control clarification that bets affecting the running of this EVA are unauthorised.</p><p>VS: Oh now you’ve made it really tempting.</p><p>VK: Tell me Doctor, what will I win?</p><p>VS: You can take my next solo spacewalk if you win.</p><p>CC: The exchange of spacewalkers on EVAs two years in the planning isn’t possible.</p><p>VK: These are high stakes.</p><p>VS: Alright fine, I don’t know, I’ll owe you one. And if you’re under an hour and forty five then you’ll owe me one.</p><p>VK: One what?</p><p>Vs: Prerogative of the owe-ee.</p><p>VK: This is the worst bet I’ve ever made.</p><p>CC: Back on track, please, Vega I. Doctor Smith can you confirm backup.</p><p>VS: Angstrom and Frame are acclimatising in their airlocks. They should be ready in a few minutes.</p><p>CC: Great. Touch wood we won’t need them.</p><p>VS: We won’t.</p><p>CC: You can’t be too cautious. We want Vega I’s first spacewalk successfully under our belt.</p><p>CC: Doctor Khan can we have confirmation your suit’s pressure levels are in the clear?</p><p>VK: Affirmative. I’ve got oxygen for just over four hours.</p><p>CC: Great. EVA I is a go at your will, Doctor Khan. Over.</p><p>[…]</p><p>VK: It’s spectacular out here.</p><p>CC: Tell us what you see, Doctor Khan.</p><p>VK: The Atlantic. Lots of cloud cover over Western Europe.</p><p>CC: You’re telling me.</p><p>VK: I’ve done many EVAs and yet each feels like the first. Photographs and descriptions cannot do it justice.</p><p>CC: I hope to join you in that experience someday, Doctor Khan.</p><p>VK: I’m commencing the evaluation of the shuttle now, Sheffield.</p><p>CC: Roger that.</p><p>[…]</p><p>VK: Sheffield, there seems to be a lot of widespread but minimal damage to the exterior material of the shuttle.</p><p>CC: Copy that. We can request equipment and materials on NASA’s <em>Dragon</em> resupply ship this week.</p><p>VK: Roger. I’m just setting up an extra foothold on the cargo bay exterior. There are some very low priority repairs I can do now.</p><p>[…]</p><p>VK: Sheffield.</p><p>CC: We copy.</p><p>VK: There is more extensive damage towards the nose of the shuttle. Possible potential damage to the nose engines. I suggest Doctor Smith and I are both needed to assess it further.</p><p>CC: Alright, we copy that, Doctor Khan. Thank you.</p><p>VS: There shouldn’t be extensive damage. We sustained a bit of damage on docking but nothing as serious as that. If the damage extends to the engines themselves then there is definitely some poor engineering going on.</p><p>CC: Copy that. This damage is high-priority for assessment on your joint EVA. Over.</p><p>[…]</p><p>VK: Come in Sheffield.</p><p>CC: Loud and clear.</p><p>VK: Reconnaissance completed. That’s as much as I can do on this individual EVA.</p><p>CC: That’s fine, Doctor Khan. That’s recon complete in one hour 49 minutes.</p><p>VK: Sheffield, I’m extending my EVA a bit longer.</p><p>CC: No problem, Doctor Khan. Congratulations on a successful spacewalk.</p><p>VK: Thank you. Over.</p><p>VS: Did I hear under two hours?</p><p>VK: Ah, yes you did, Doctor.</p><p>VS: Great. You owe me one.</p><p>CC: Alright you two. Comms are on standby. Over and out.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, ow!”</p><p>Yaz didn’t even react to the shout over the comms. She and the Doctor had been talking on and off over the last couple of hours as Yaz communicated pertinent news and results to Vega I.</p><p>“What did you do, Doctor?”</p><p>“Ow, bloody hell. I was about to finish up my report and forgot to tie myself down. Whacked my head as soon as I pressed the first key.”</p><p>Yaz’s nostrils flared as she suppressed her smile.</p><p>“It’s a reminder for next time,” she said.</p><p>The Doctor’s clumsiness was kind of endearing, but she wasn’t going to tell her that.</p><p>“I whacked my toes earlier too and they’re still smarting. That’s the one thing they don’t tell you, you know – you get these ginormous bruises on the tops of your feet from using them as hooks to anchor yourself, and they’re never the same again. Tell any astronaut to show you their feet and you’ll see these great lumps on top of them.”</p><p>“Uh, thanks but no thanks,” Yaz replied.</p><p>The Doctor’s tone turned teasingly bubbly again when she said “Don’t let that put you off though!”</p><p>Yaz rolled her eyes.</p><p>“I’ll make sure to wear some really thick socks or something if I ever get up there. Anyway, it’s only day two and you’re already blue and purple. Take it easy will you.”</p><p>“It’s practically a rite of passage now. You can’t call yourself an astronaut until you’ve turned into a human blueberry.”</p><p>“Like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” Yaz said.</p><p>That startled a laugh out of the Doctor.</p><p>“<em>Exactly</em> like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Right, I’m just compiling mine and Noor’s notes and then I’ll send them over to you.”</p><p>“That film freaked me out so much I wouldn’t eat blueberries for five years after I watched it,” Yaz continued. She hadn’t thought about that film in years, and she suddenly felt very nostalgic.</p><p>“Don’t blame the blueberries,” The Doctor protested, “she was chewing gum. You ought to have avoided that instead.”</p><p>“I was a kid when I first watched it, I was focussed on her inflating and turning blue, not what she was eating,” Yaz protested.</p><p>“Well if you wanna be picky, she was turning <em>violet</em>.”</p><p>“Violet, you’re turning Violet, Violet!” Yaz quoted, giggling, pitching her voice to try and recreate that vintage film effect.</p><p>“Alright you’ve hooked me now. Can you ask finance to budget in a download for us to watch up here?”</p><p>“You know, I could do that, or you could do the hard work yourself and find a stream,” Yaz said pointedly. They had internet up there after all.</p><p>“For shame, Yaz. You wouldn’t steal a car.”</p><p>“I’d like to see the cops pop over to the space station to arrest you. Which movie do you want then; the original or the remake?” Yaz asked, unable to resist taking the piss.</p><p> “There was a remake?”</p><p>“Yes! Where have you been? With Johnny Depp. It was a Tim Burton movie.”</p><p>“Bloody hell. Definitely <em>not</em> that one. What is it with all these remakes, does no-one have any original ideas anymore?”</p><p>“I mean, it was released ages ago, so it’s not new news. But it’s pretty bad.”</p><p>“Definitely the original, please,” the Doctor said, scorn still evident in her voice. “Right, that’s my report sent over to you. Now, I’m gonna take forty winks. Night, night Yaz.”</p><p>“Don’t let the Vermicious Knids bite, Doctor.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1.)  The transcript of NASA's podcast episode #83: 'How to Plan a Spacewalk' was invaluable to this chapter and to the fic as a whole<br/>2.) You should totally check out the NASA image galleries, there are some incredible photos<br/>3.) NASA's SpaceX Dragon resupply ship went to the Space Station on the 7th March 2020 - you can see videos on both the NASA and ISS Twitter feeds<br/>4.) The Doctor is a Roald Dahl fan and no-one can tell me otherwise</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. A Warm Welcome</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>6<sup>th</sup> March 2020</strong>
</p>
<p>“Smith to Sheffield, Smith to Sheffield, come in Sheffield.”</p>
<p>“What do you want?” Yaz asked, distracted. She was correcting mistakes in the previous day’s spacewalk transcript and compiling notes for the week’s report.</p>
<p>“Ooo warm welcome,” the Doctor teased, and Yaz could have been annoyed, but instead it lit something warm within her. “I was gonna get to know you a bit better, if that’s alright.”</p>
<p>“What do you want to know?” Yaz asked. “I’m the CAPCOM on this mission, you can come to me with anything you need-“</p>
<p>“No no no I want to know about you, not your job. I know about the job. I was CAPCOM on tons of missions.”</p>
<p>“I’m not sure it’s really relevant-“</p>
<p>“Of course it’s relevant!” The Doctor’s voice was more animated than on the spacewalk. “There’s nothing more relevant or more important.”</p>
<p>Yaz was quiet for a moment, stunned by the woman’s vehemence.</p>
<p>“Right,” the Doctor said, “put it this way then. You’re the CAPCOM, our relationship is paramount to this mission. We’ve got to trust each other, and the relationship has to go both ways. Yeah?”</p>
<p>“Well I can’t argue with that,” Yaz replied.</p>
<p>“How old are you?” The Doctor asked.</p>
<p>“Starting a bit basic Doctor. You don’t want to know my heart’s desire or biggest fear?”</p>
<p>“We’ll get to it,” the Doctor replied. Yaz was disconcerted to realise she was perfectly serious.</p>
<p>“28,” Yaz said.</p>
<p>“What university are you with?”</p>
<p>“Sheffield Hallam. Astrophysics PhD.”</p>
<p>“Your family?”</p>
<p>“Well, there’s my mum, my dad, and my sister Sonya. She’s younger than me. We live in Park Hill.” Yaz decided to continue before the Doctor could fire more questions at her. “My nani too. She moved to Sheffield after partition. We’re Muslim, obviously.”</p>
<p>“And why did you want to be an astronaut? And don’t say Sandra Bullock in <em>Gravity</em> because that’s my reason.”</p>
<p>This startled a laugh out of Yaz.</p>
<p>“That’s well after your time, Doctor. Unless you can time travel I’m not buying it.”</p>
<p>“Cheeky! Go on then, tell me.”</p>
<p>“Well, I actually wanted to be a police offer. All through secondary I knew I was gonna take criminology, but then UKSA made their announcement when I was doing my GCSEs and I wasn’t gonna pass that up. I’ve been training ever since.”</p>
<p>“Criminology to physics is a pretty big jump.”</p>
<p>“Not really. There’s a lot of overlap. I still took psychology at college and as a discovery module in my undergrad. Maybe that’s why I’m on comms, you know, so I can deal with any astronauts going stir crazy.”</p>
<p>“Well Noor’s far too sensible for that, and I’m already crazy, so no worries.”</p>
<p>Yaz felt the smile break across her face again.</p>
<p>“Alright, so you had your mid-life crisis at sixteen and decided to travel the universe. What then?”</p>
<p>“That’s it. I want to get to space. I want to go out there and see it all, you know?”</p>
<p>“I know.”</p>
<p>“And I’ve dedicated my whole life to that goal really. I thought if I worked hard then I would be qualified before the Agency’s first mission, and maybe I could be the first astronaut from here up in space.”</p>
<p>“Oi, that’s me.”</p>
<p>“Yeah but I mean, an UKSA mission. Not NASA. And this whole thing has inspired so many kids like me to get into space travel, and I thought, if I could be the first British Muslim woman sent up in space from Dartmoor, representing the UK, ah, I dunno.”</p>
<p>“That would inspire so many more kids like you,” the Doctor finished.</p>
<p>“Yeah. But I was assigned to comms. And that’s still amazing, I wouldn’t change it.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>“Why are you sorry?”</p>
<p>“I got the feeling you didn’t much like me at first. Do you still resent me for being on Vega I?”</p>
<p>Yaz felt a flush rise to her cheeks, and she was grateful the Doctor couldn’t see how she’d caught her out. But she thought about the question.</p>
<p>“No. No, I’m not mad. Doctor Khan was earmarked for the mission from the start, and as soon as you moved back to work at the base I knew you’d be picked. Thousands of people apply for this and I’m not gonna stand out, am I? A PhD student in my mid-twenties.”</p>
<p>“Right. I’m laying down some ground rules here. You’re fantastic, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. And ‘anyone’ includes your brain. We don’t do negative self-talk here or negative self-think and so if you even think something negative about yourself I’m gonna know about it.”</p>
<p>Yaz was leaning forward, chin in her palm and tucked cosily into her booth. She couldn’t stop grinning.</p>
<p>“Yeah, okay. No negative talk.”</p>
<p>“Right, then we’re gonna get along fine, Yasmin Khan of Park Hill.”</p>
<p>The warm feeling in Yaz’s chest stirred. The title made her feel important, in a way. Like to the Doctor she wasn't just a scientist but a friend to place on her personal map of the world. For a moment Yaz berated herself for being cheesy, before she remembered; no negative talk.</p>
<p>“Well anyway,” Yaz said, trying for levity, “You can’t have a two-woman mission with both of them called Khan.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*</p>
<p> </p>
<p>[No Subject]</p>
<p><strong>Doctor Jo Smith</strong> &lt;thedoctor_smith@uksa.gov.uk&gt;</p>
<p>Sat 07/03/2020 19:31</p>
<p>“Oi Yaz</p>
<p>I think you’ve got it better than me, I can’t wait to use a proper bog again! D:</p>
<p><em>[Image Alt text: a photo of a toilet on board the International Space Station]</em>”</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Doctor Jo Smith, PhD</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>According to wikia Yaz is meant to be 21, and Mandip Gill is 32 years old. Neither age works for me so I've made her 28 :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. PC Brigade</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Site Map: ITV Transcripts: <em>Good Morning Britain</em>: 2015: April: 24 </strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>Friday 24 April 2015</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Excerpt: Interview with Doctor Jo Smith, PhD</strong>
</p><p>Presenters: Piers Morgan, Susanna Reid</p><p>Guests: Dr Jo Smith</p><p> </p><p>Susanna<strong>:</strong> Now, we’re happy to welcome our first guest of the day; Doctor Jo Smith.</p><p>Piers: Hi Jo, welcome to the show.</p><p>Jo: It’s great to be here.</p><p>Piers: Back in England!</p><p>Jo: Yeah, absolutely.</p><p>Piers: So. And I’m going to jump straight in here-</p><p>Jo: Go ahead.</p><p>Piers: So, so. So UKSA announced their space programme in 2010. But you’ve just moved back here now.</p><p>Jo: Yeah. So construction is mostly finished now at Mission Control, and flight planning and engineering labs are underway.</p><p>Susanna: Was it an easy decision to come back to the UK?</p><p>Piers: Well it must have been. Surely. She’s evidently a patriotic woman.</p><p>Jo: It was an easy decision to go back to Sheffield. I mean, I was born there and of course I want to be part of the UK’s work in space.</p><p>Piers: So it was patriotism then? To develop UKSA into something that could rival NASA.</p><p>Jo: Not in a kind of nationalistic way, no.</p><p>Piers: Okay, but patriotism isn’t-</p><p>Jo: It was a personal decision for me to come back to my hometown.</p><p>Piers: But patriotism isn’t the same as nationalism, is it?</p><p>Susanna: Let’s not get into nationalism, Piers.</p><p>Piers: Well, no, Susanna, Miss Smith here is saying that pride in your country is nationalism.</p><p>Jo: It’s Doctor Smith.</p><p>Piers: Is that what you think then?</p><p>Jo: Those words all came out of your mouth, not mine. Space travel is about discovery and sharing knowledge, not rivalry.</p><p>Piers: No, no-</p><p>Susanna: I’m going to cut in here. Do you think this decision will affect your career?</p><p>Jo: Oh absolutely. I mean, over the next maybe six or seven years I’m going to be doing a lot of stuff on the ground, you know, planning missions and developing tech and that sort of thing.</p><p>Susanna: All the sort of behind the scenes stuff.</p><p>Jo: Yeah, it’s the important stuff that will get the base on its feet and make the first mission possible. It’s honestly an honour to be a part of it, and UKSA was so welcoming-</p><p>Piers: Okay, okay, Miss Smith, let’s get-</p><p>Jo: It’s Doctor.</p><p>Piers: Let’s get this straight. If you’re not a nationalist, and you didn’t come back for the career opportunities, then why are you here?</p><p>Jo: To be a part of developing the British space programme. This is going to bring so many opportunities to Sheffield in particular and it will really encourage kids to get into STEM-</p><p>Piers: So it’s pure altruism then.</p><p>Jo: The programme is going to have an impact whether I’m a part of it or not.</p><p>Piers: Then why bother coming back? If it’s all going ahead without you anyway then you could have just stayed in Texas.</p><p>Jo: Personal interest.</p><p>Piers: So is it that you’re bringing your name to it? The programme? Kids will see you as a kind of figurehead and think oh look, there’s Miss Smith, the astronaut, she’s from Sheffield, and I want to be like her.</p><p>Jo: It’s Doctor Smith. And do you think kids watch <em>Good Morning Britain</em> and see you as a kind of figurehead?</p><p>Piers: [laughs] I’m sure some of them probably do.</p><p>Jo: Then they clearly need some better role models.</p><p>Susanna: Alright. Piers. Don’t. I think we should move on from here.</p><p>Jo: Yeah.</p><p>Susanna: I think there is some truth in the effect of representation though. I mean, getting women into STEM and things like that.</p><p>Jo: Yeah absolutely, I think it’s a responsibility as a female astronaut to recognise the role you play and the impact you have. And for people in the North-</p><p>Piers: We’ve checked off now – we’ve checked off Northerners. Women. Next you’ll be telling me you stand for minority ethnic people too.</p><p>Jo: You-</p><p>Piers: No wait. Jo. Miss Smith. Miss-</p><p>Jo: My title is Doctor.</p><p>Piers: You know, I can tell you don’t like me-</p><p>Jo: I have no patience for people who belittle others for entertainment.</p><p>Piers: Ah, I think we’re going full PC brigade-</p><p>Susanna: Piers.</p><p>Susanna: Well that’s the interview time up anyway. We’ll be following UKSA’s updates about their space programme over the next few weeks.</p><p>
  <strong>Transcript ends.</strong>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1.) As you can imagine I don't actually watch <i>Good Morning Britain</i> and so I have no idea what Susanna Reid is actually like apart from that she's at least marginally a better person than Piers Morgan. But basically I just made her up here.<br/>2.) The time of this interview is right at the beginning of Piers Morgan's run on the show - according to Wikipedia he did a few episodes for them before being signed on permanently.<br/>3.) When I was writing this transcript I looked up GMB episode transcripts and got sucked into an interview between Donald Trump and Piers Morgan...so like, pray for me...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Something Sacred</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>8<sup>th</sup> March 2020</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>UKSA: Vega I: Spacewalk II: 08/03/2020: Transcript</strong>
</p>
<p>CC = CAPCOM</p>
<p>CC-A: CAPCOM Assistant</p>
<p>VK = Vega Khan</p>
<p>VS = Vega Smith</p>
<p>EVA = Extravehicular Activity</p>
<p>SAFER = Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue (Jet thrusting safety equipment)</p>
<p> </p>
<p>VS: Oh, I have missed this.</p>
<p>VK: She is at her best when seen from space, I think.</p>
<p>VS: Yeah. Definitely. She’s gorgeous.</p>
<p>VK: So blue. And she seems so small.</p>
<p>VS: I think we’re the small ones.</p>
<p>CC: Not to rush you, but we have a tight schedule.</p>
<p>VK: Roger that.</p>
<p>[…]</p>
<p>VS: Oh. Bloody hell. How did that happen?</p>
<p>CC: What’s wrong Doctor Smith?</p>
<p>VS: I’m untethered. This has never happened on a mission before.</p>
<p>CC: State your position.</p>
<p>VS: Unchanged. I’ve got a foothold on the nose. Right. I’m going to shuffle over and re-tether myself.</p>
<p>CC: Stay in position. Doctor Khan, are you able to re-tether Doctor Smith?</p>
<p>CC: [muffled audio] take time out of [muffled] can’t just go ahe- [muffled audio].</p>
<p>VK: Sheffield, I am just stabilising the repair site.</p>
<p>CC: [muffled audio].</p>
<p>CC: Roger that, Doctor Khan. Safety is our ultimate priority. As soon as your tools are stable your main task is to re-tether Doctor Smith.</p>
<p>VS: I’m alright, I’ve got my SPACER on. But I’ve got to say I’m not really enjoying the whole spaceship-falling-apart thing. I’ve never had a thousand pound tensile strength steel cord fail on me before.</p>
<p>CC: Believe me, we will be investigating as soon as possible.</p>
<p>CC: The Station are preparing a back-up crew.</p>
<p>VK: They won’t be ready in time for an unscheduled EVA. This is why we have our SPACERs. I can handle it, Sheffield.</p>
<p>CC: [muffled audio] not necessary [muffled audio] mission is [muffled audio].</p>
<p>CC: Report, Doctor Khan.</p>
<p>VK: The repair site is stabilised. A few of my tools are tethered to the exterior of the shuttle to save time. I am moving towards Doctor Smith now.</p>
<p>VS: Have I ever told you lot how much I hate these gloves, by the way. Not very dexterous.</p>
<p>CC: Hold on, Doctor. We’d rather you do your first untethered walk on a scheduled EVA and with proper safety measures.</p>
<p>CC: [Poor sound quality] can’t leave the tools, they [muffled audio].</p>
<p>CC-A: Carry on Doctor Khan.</p>
<p>VS: How hard can the SPACER be, I’ve got the joystick right here. Oh, shit.</p>
<p>CC-A: Doctor Smith? Report!</p>
<p>VS: Okay, uh. Not to worry anyone but I lost my grip. And. Uh. Looks like the SPACER is faulty.</p>
<p>CC-A: Doctor Khan, report your position.</p>
<p>VK: How fast are you going?</p>
<p>CC: [muffled audio] life is more [muffled audio] due respect [muffled audio] decision.</p>
<p>VS: Not too fast, but I’m moving away from the station. My SPACER works but the controls are off. I can’t direct myself properly and it’s thrown me further off course. Where on Earth is this technology from?</p>
<p>CC: Doctor Khan, how many tethers do you have at hand?</p>
<p>VK: I have full length tethers, but I may need more in order to span the distance.</p>
<p>CC-A: On it.</p>
<p>CC: We’re in contact with the Station. Someone is going to bring several more tethers to the airlock. Update, Doctor Smith.</p>
<p>VS: Well I’m definitely not getting any closer.</p>
<p>CC: What’s the angle of trajectory?</p>
<p>VS: Forget that, I won’t be re-entering the Station’s orbit. If I can just figure out the degree this console is off by-</p>
<p>CC: Do not attempt to use the SPACER. The last thing we need is you zooming out of range.</p>
<p>CC-A: Doctor Khan, there are five more tethers in the airlock.</p>
<p>VK: Roger that. I am attaching the spare two to the Station exterior.</p>
<p>VS: If I die on this mission I’m gonna be having some strong words with whoever the hell tested this equipment.</p>
<p>VK: Sheffield, the airlock is open and I am currently attaching the remaining tethers to each other.</p>
<p>CC: Good job. Doctor Smith, please remain calm.</p>
<p>VS: Oh I’m calm. I’m just very, very unhappy.</p>
<p>CC: Report your levels, Doctor Smith.</p>
<p>VS: 3 hours of oxygen, low nitrogen levels, functioning carbon dioxide scrubber, and so on. Perfect setup for a long wait for death. At least the view’s good.</p>
<p>VK: Sheffield, I have attached seven tethers together, and the airlock door is closed. The end of the seventh is hooked to my suit.</p>
<p>CC: Roger that, Doctor Khan.</p>
<p>VS: Newton’s law is a pain in my arse. I’ve roughly figured out the offset and I’m using staccato bursts to slow my flight. You should be able to reach me, Noor, as long as your own SPACER works properly.</p>
<p>VK: I can see you. You have travelled much further than I expected.</p>
<p>VS: You know… broken tether, faulty SPACER, damaged nose...if I were a conspiracy theorist I’d be having the time of my life.</p>
<p>VK: If you were a conspiracy theorist you would not be in space.</p>
<p>VS: Good point. Maybe this is all fake. That’s comforting.</p>
<p>CC: How are you doing, Doctor Khan?</p>
<p>VK: I have the length of one tether left, but the distance between us has increased. Jo needs to be closer.</p>
<p>CC: There’s no time to retrieve more tethers. Doctor Smith, you’ll have to fly into range.</p>
<p>VS: Yeah. It’s alright…I’ve got this.</p>
<p>VK: I’ve reached the end of my tether now.</p>
<p>VS: Nice one. Me too.</p>
<p>VK: How can you make jokes at a time like this?</p>
<p>VS: Don’t wanna think about the alternative. Right. Okay. I think if I can just adjust the direction a few degrees...</p>
<p>CC: You’ll lose accuracy the farther away you get.</p>
<p>VS: Alright, alright! You try flying blind! It’s not your life on the line here.</p>
<p>VS: Okay, I’m gonna put on a burst of power, keep your eye on the ball, Noor.</p>
<p>CC: Small burst of power. Don’t shoot off.</p>
<p>VS: Here goes.</p>
<p>VS: I need more power to reverse. Gimme a minute.</p>
<p>VK: You have three hours to navigate back here. Just be accurate.</p>
<p>VS: Right. I’m coming towards you. Yes. Brilliant!</p>
<p>VK: You need to adjust your angle or we will swing right past each other.</p>
<p>VS: Yes, thank you, Noor, I can see that! Right, I’m turning.</p>
<p>VK: I can intercept your path.</p>
<p>VS: Okay brilliant. That’ll do.</p>
<p>VK: There’s going to be a collision.</p>
<p>VS: There’s Kevlar in our suits for a reason. It’ll be fine.</p>
<p>VK: We can only hope.</p>
<p>VS: Noor, watch out, I’m coming up on you fast.</p>
<p>VK: As soon as we collide, hold on. I will offset the force with my SPACER.</p>
<p>CC: Try not to knock her out.</p>
<p>VS: Then I’ll definitely be dead.</p>
<p>VS: Okay collision in four, three, AH!</p>
<p>VK: Hold on! I can’t control-</p>
<p>VS: I am holding on! More thrust!</p>
<p>VK: I need – this is too precarious!</p>
<p>VS: Now!</p>
<p>VK: AH-</p>
<p>VK: [Static]</p>
<p>[…]</p>
<p>CC: Report, Vega I!</p>
<p>VK: Ah. We’ve stabilised. The tether has held.</p>
<p>CC: And Doctor Smith?</p>
<p>VK: She is alive.</p>
<p>VS: That’s one experience I do <em>not</em> want to relive.</p>
<p>CC: Alright. Doctor Smith, you need to tether yourself to the station.</p>
<p>VS: Already on it. I’m following it back.</p>
<p>VK: I have also used a shorter tether to secure us both together.</p>
<p>VS: Yeah, there’s a wrench floating about in space now.</p>
<p>CC: Doesn’t matter about the wrench. Just get back to the Station immediately.</p>
<p>CC-A: There’s a crew at the airlock to help you repress and provide medical aid.</p>
<p>VS: I don’t think anything’s broken except my pride.</p>
<p>VK: That will recover soon enough. Also, I have repaid my debt.</p>
<p>VS: Nah, the price is the prerogative of the owe-ee, remember, not the owe-er.</p>
<p>VK: Is there a higher price than your life, Doctor?</p>
<p>VS: There are several billionaires on planet Earth who would say yes.</p>
<p>CC: Update, please, Vega I.</p>
<p>VK: We’ve reached the airlock.</p>
<p>CC: Okay, this is the conclusion of today’s EVA.</p>
<p>VS: What about the nose repairs?</p>
<p>CC: These are extenuating circumstances. We’ll have another crew look at them tomorrow. The site is stable enough for now.</p>
<p>VS: Roger that. Now who wants to bet we’ll all get an NDA about this tomorrow.</p>
<p>VK: Sheffield, we’re in the airlock. Ready to repress.</p>
<p>CC: We’re patching you to a private channel with the Station crew. I’ll also be on the line. Over and out.</p>
<p>VS: Roger that, Sheffield. Over and out.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Yaz was pulling on her jacket when the call came through.</p>
<p>“Yaz. Are you there?”</p>
<p>The Doctor’s voice was quiet and tinny through the external speaker. Yaz quickly clamped her headphones on and turned on her mic.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I’m here. Are you okay?”</p>
<p>“Yeah. Med bay cleared me earlier. Just a few bumps, nothing to worry about.”</p>
<p>“Do you need me to bring the return flight forward?”</p>
<p>“No.”</p>
<p>Yaz couldn’t help the uncertainty pitting her stomach.</p>
<p>“Are you sure?” She gentled her voice. “Doctor, what you went through today…just, no-one expects you to be top of your game after that.”</p>
<p>Through the headphones the Doctor’s wry laugh was as clear as a bell.</p>
<p>“Yeah. It was…unexpected. But I’ll be alright, really.”</p>
<p>Yaz glanced at the time, and saw it was well past midnight. The both of them were keeping to GMT and should have been fast asleep by now.</p>
<p>The speaker crackled as the Doctor shifted, and Yaz imagined her wrapped tight in her sleeping bag.</p>
<p>“I just wanted to talk to you. If that’s okay,” the Doctor said.</p>
<p>Yaz slowly sank back down in her chair, a frown gracing her face. Her jacket was still on, although unbuttoned and half slipping down her shoulder. She dropped her bag to the floor between her feet.</p>
<p>“Yeah. Of course.”</p>
<p>A sigh drifted over the line then, and Yaz pressed her lips together.</p>
<p>“It’s been a long day. A long sixteen days,” the Doctor said, and Yaz huffed a breath in reply.</p>
<p>Of course. Despite the weariness in her voice, the Doctor was making a joke,</p>
<p>“Enough drama for a lifetime, I imagine,” Yaz said.</p>
<p>“No. It was worth it,” the Doctor insisted, and Yaz was surprised at how emphatic her declaration was. “I want you to experience it, Yaz. It’s really just…unlike anything else.”</p>
<p>“You mean, the EVA?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.”</p>
<p>Yaz pursed her lips, adjusted the headphones where they put pressure on her ears.</p>
<p>“Every time you and Dr Khan go out there…” she said, “you’re in awe every time. There’s this moment when you’ve stepped out of the airlock and everything is quiet. Not just the feed but the control room too. Everyone just falls silent and no-one even looks at each other, not until one of you speaks. I don’t think it’s a conscious decision. There’s like…something sacred about the moment.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” the Doctor breathed, “that’s what it’s like up here too. It’s not something you can prepare for. However many spacewalks you’ve done, doesn’t matter.”</p>
<p>“It’s not just the view, though,” Yaz said, making the question a statement, “you can see Earth from inside the station.”</p>
<p>“Nah. It’s completely different. Sure, you’ve got the tether holding you in place, but you step outside and suddenly you’re weightless. This cumbersome suit just becomes nothing, and the ground falls away beneath your feet, except it <em>doesn’t</em>. You’re neither falling nor flying. And you’ve gone from the safety of the station wrapped around you to an endless vacuum, with only an umbilical cord connecting you to what you know. It’s terrifying, and simultaneously the most euphoric thing you’ve ever felt.”</p>
<p>Yaz’s eyes had shuttered closed, and a wave of fatigued vertigo washed over her and lifted her from her seat.</p>
<p>“And,” the Doctor continued, “across this vast nothing in front of you, you’ve got this glowing blue planet suspended in the blackness, as if it’s hanging there by an invisible string. And suddenly it all seems so breakable. There’s no steel cable keeping the Earth safe. It messes up your perspective. You can hold your hand in front of your face and encompass the entire United Kingdom, all of Western Europe. And all at once you feel like the biggest thing in the universe, and then you realise how alive it is, this beautiful planet, and you feel like the smallest.”</p>
<p>“I don’t think you could ever be small, Doctor.”</p>
<p>The Doctor sighed. “I don’t know, Yaz. There was this moment when Noor crossed between us, and she seemed to stretch from ocean to ocean, and suddenly I forgot about everything I thought was important. She was the size of a storm brewing over the Atlantic.”</p>
<p>The Doctor’s voice was low and calm, but something wretched clung to her tongue.</p>
<p>“When my SPACER failed I looked at the Earth, and it’s the most loved and the most alone I’ve ever felt. And I think,” she inhaled sharply, “if that was the last thing I ever got to see, I would have been happy with it.”</p>
<p>Yaz opened her eyes again, and suddenly the vertigo subsided. Her feet were on the ground.</p>
<p>“Doctor,” she said. “You’re like, the best person I ever met.”</p>
<p>There was silence on the other end of the line. Yaz swallowed.</p>
<p>“Come back home, okay? Promise?”</p>
<p>Yaz tried not to acknowledge the tremble in her voice. All she could hear was the Doctor's steady breathing on the other end of the line.</p>
<p>She squeezed her eyes shut.</p>
<p>“Yeah, Yaz. I promise.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1.) A couple more definitions/clarifications:<br/>- NDA: Non-Disclosure Agreement.<br/>- Depress/repress: Before an EVA astronauts have to rid themselves of the nitrogen in their body by breathing pure oxygen for a couple of hours, otherwise it bubbles up like coke and they get the bends - the same condition scuba divers suffer from. After the EVA they slowly repressurise the airlock, pop their ears, and so on, so they can get used to the station pressure again.<br/> - GMT: Greenwich Mean Time. The time zone in the UK from November-ish to March-ish. From April-ish to October-ish we use BST: British Summer Time.</p>
<p>2.) Again, the transcript of NASA's podcast episode #83: 'How to Plan a Spacewalk' was an invaluable resource in this chapter.</p>
<p>3.) Astronauts see 16 sunrises and sunsets every 24 hours from the International Space Station.</p>
<p>4.) The 'overview effect' is something that many astronauts experience. It's a profound change in perspective upon seeing the Earth from space, and many astronauts have converted, preached, become spiritual, or taken on voluntary and charity work after experiencing it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. What Would The Doctor Do?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Dr Jo Smith</strong>
</p>
<hr/><p><strong>Dr Jo Smith</strong> (born 17 June 1984) is a British astrophysicist and UKSA astronaut. She completed two space missions for NASA before moving permanently back to the UK in 2015. She is currently on space mission Vega I with Dr Noor Khan, the first flight from the newly instated Dartmoor launch base as well as the Sheffield Mission Control Centre (SMCC), which was completed in 2010.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>Missions</strong>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">NASA</span>
</p><p>Smith completed two routine missions for NASA between 2010 and 2014. [1] The first was a short mission in-orbit, a test flight for new machinery. The second was a routine flight to the International Space Station (ISS).</p><p>
  <span class="u">Vega I</span>
</p><p>The Vega I shuttle was launched on 3<sup>rd</sup> March 2020 from Dartmoor launch base on a course for the International Space Station, where it successfully docked only 5 hours and 46 minutes later. [2] As the first mission directed entirely by UKSA and launched from British soil, with a crew of two women astronauts, of whom Khan is British-Indian and Muslim, Vega I has set a new precedent in diversity for international space exploration. </p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>Life and Career</strong>
</p><p>Smith was born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire on 17<sup>th</sup> June 1984. She graduated from the University of Leeds in 2006 with a Master’s degree in Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering after studying on the four year integrated course. During this time she was known to regularly attend open lectures in the physics department, and she went on to achieve two doctoral degrees in Astrophysics and Aerospace Engineering whilst training onsite in Houston, Texas. [3] By 2014 Smith had completed two missions, the first in Earth’s orbit, and the second on a routine mission to the International Space Station.</p><p>In 2010 when UKSA announced its Sheffield-Dartmoor project, Smith reportedly told the press ‘About bloody time!’ <em>[citation needed]</em></p><p>Smith permanently relocated to the UK in 2015 to join UKSA at its Sheffield Base, and along with Dr Noor Khan she holds the title of the first woman in space on an entirely British-led space mission.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>Honours</strong>
</p><p>Smith was awarded an honorary doctoral degree in Science from Sheffield Hallam University. [4]</p><p>In 2016, a park on the outskirts of the city centre was named ‘Doctor’s Place’ in reference to Smith’s widely used appellation ‘The Doctor’ across the UK. [5]</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>Charity Work</strong>
</p><p>Smith has been a patron of The Capstone Care Leavers Trust since 2017. [6]</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>Controversies</strong>
</p><p>In 2016 it was reported in <em>The Sun</em> that Smith had been sheltering several homeless young adults in her residence in Sheffield. [7] Despite minor circulation around tabloid papers, the rumours were never investigated further.</p><p>In 2015 Smith appeared as a guest on <em>Good Morning Britain</em> where she was interviewed by Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid. Clips of the episode went viral after Smith repeatedly corrected Morgan’s use of ‘Miss’ throughout the episode, and berated him for his lack of respect. This led to Smith becoming known by the epithet ‘The Doctor’. [8]</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>Personal Life</strong>
</p><p>Smith speaks five languages: English, Russian, Mandarin, German, and British Sign Language, which she reportedly taught herself ‘entirely from BSL reruns of Scooby Doo’. [9]</p><p>Smith is a runner, although she says she takes little joy in cardio, preferring resistance exercise and swimming. She is widely described by her colleagues to have a lively sense of humour. <em>[citation needed]</em></p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>References</strong>
</p><p>[1] <span class="u">NASA: Missions</span>: https://www.nasa.gov/missions/timeline/index.html</p><p>[2] <span class="u">UKSA: Vega I</span>: All systems are go! https://www.uksa.gov/articles/vega-i/all-systems-are-go/</p><p>[3] <span class="u">The Gryphon Newspaper</span>: http://www.thegryphon.co.uk/2010/01/26/famous-uol-alumni/</p><p>[4] <span class="u">Sheffield Hallam University</span>: https://www.shu.ac.uk/about-us/our-people/honorary-awards/jo-smith/</p><p>[5] <span class="u">The Guardian</span>: The Doctor: Legacy of a Female Astronaut http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/womens-blog/2016/june/29/the-doctor-legacy-of-a-female-astronaut/</p><p>[6] <span class="u">Capstone Foster Care</span>: www.capstonefostercare.co.uk/blog/doctor-jo-smith-visits-south-yorkshire-team-in-easter-holiday/</p><p>[7] <span class="u">The Sun: Squatter Scandal! Our Doctor’s dealing a new kind of healing!</span>: www.thesun.co.uk/news/191180/the-doctor-squatter-scandal/</p><p>[8] <span class="u">The Guardian</span>: The Doctor: Legacy of a Female Astronaut http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/womens-blog/2016/june/29/the-doctor-legacy-of-a-female-astronaut/</p><p>[9] <span class="u">The Verge</span>: Game show host Bradley Walsh interviews the Doctor on daily life in the ISS: www.theverge.com/2018/10/05/11120/brad-walsh-doctor-iss-vega/</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>External Links</strong>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">NASA Biography</span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">UKSA Biography</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1.) Is it bad that I have so much of this fic written and yet this fake Wikipedia page was my favourite part to write? </p><p>2.) The four-year BA + MA integrated course in Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering is a real course at the Uni of Leeds.</p><p>3.) The honorary doctoral degree idea was shamelessly nicked from former astronaut Michael Foale's wiki page.</p><p>4.) The Capstone Care Leavers Trust is a real organisation.</p><p>5.) References:<br/>- [1] The Nasa URL is real, although of course there is nothing about Dr Jo Smith on the page.<br/>- [2] The UKSA URL is fake.<br/>- [3] The Gryphon is the Uni of Leeds student newspaper. The domain is real, the article is not.<br/>- [4] The Sheffield Hallam link for honorary-awards is real.<br/>- [5] The Guardian link is real up to the women's-blog path.<br/>- [6] The Capstone Foster Care domain is real.<br/>- [7] The Sun domain is (unfortunately) real. The article isn't.<br/>- [9] The Verge domain is real.</p><p>6.) Our Jo has the same birthday as Jodie Whittaker, but she's two years younger.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Take The Mick Out Of Graham Day</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>9<sup>th</sup> March 2020</strong>
</p><p>Yaz got home in the early hours. The whole evening she’d felt like a charged wire, running on endless adrenaline well after the mission ended and the Doctor was cleared by medical. Even their last conversation felt surreal to her now as she collapsed into a seat at the kitchen table. Her legs were shaking. </p><p>She couldn’t stop going over and over the EVA. The Doctor had nearly died. If Noor hadn’t been fast enough…if her SPACER had failed entirely then the Doctor would have been out there in space, all alone, counting down the minutes until she was gassed by her own spacesuit. She would have felt tiny and hopeless in front of the blue disk of the Earth, and the space station fading into blackness.</p><p>It was too much. Yaz’s put her face in her hands and gulped down the bile in her throat.</p><p>Distantly, she heard a door open.</p><p>“Yaz?”</p><p>A soft voice. Her mum.</p><p>It was 3am.</p><p>“Yaz, are you okay?”</p><p>There was a gentle hand on her shoulder, and then her mum was pulling a chair round and sitting beside her, grasping her hands in her own.</p><p>“You’re freezing. What’s wrong?”</p><p>Yaz shook her head, suddenly sure that if she spoke, or met her mother’s eyes, then she would fall apart.</p><p>Her mum ushered her to her feet, and Yaz followed her down into her bedroom on shaking legs. She was clad in a soft blue dressing down and had fluffy pink slippers on her feet. Clearly, she’d been in bed until she heard Yaz come in, but when Yaz finally looked at her face she looked wide awake.</p><p>At her mum’s urging she sat on her bed and let herself be wrapped up in a blanket. Her mum sat behind her, and started to gently unravel her hair from where it held in two neat space buns.</p><p>When she was younger she would sit like this, on the bed between her mother’s knees, and her mum would brush and style her hair. Yaz could feel the tears brewing in her eyes at those comforting touches. She wiped her eyes with shaking fingers.</p><p>Her mum brushed her hair gently, and each pass of the bristles over Yaz’s scalp relaxed her more. To her shame her tears started to fall in earnest.</p><p>“Something happened at-” Yaz began, and then her breath hitched and she choked on the words.</p><p>Her mum drew her closer.</p><p>“Sorry, I dunno what’s wrong with me.”</p><p>“You’re in shock,” her mum said, and there was a pleading, worried note in her voice. “Did something happen to you?”</p><p>Yaz shook her head, immediately feeling guilty that she’d made her mum, for however short a time, think that something awful had happened to her.</p><p>“No. Not to me. Something at work. Something big. I can’t tell you.”</p><p>“To do with the mission?” her mum asked in a probing voice.</p><p>“It’s classified. Sorry.”</p><p>Her mum sighed, and then carried on brushing her hair. She gently swept locks of it over Yaz’s shoulder.  </p><p>“I understand,” she said, quietly, “but it’s upset you, and I’m worried.”</p><p>“Yeah. I- I had to make a decision and I don’t know if it was the right one.” She paused, shook her head. “No, what am I saying. It was definitely right. I know it was. But it might cost me my job.”</p><p>Yaz felt the dip in the mattress as her mum put the hairbrush down beside them, as she tucked her legs under her and urged Yaz around. For a moment she just held Yaz’s face in her hands and regarded her.</p><p>“Yasmin Khan. If doing the right thing costs you your job, then it’s not a job worth having.”</p><p>Yaz’s eyes stung again, and something sickening twisted in her gut.</p><p>“I know. But it’s just…I’ve worked…<em>so</em> hard for this. And I don’t want to lose it.”</p><p>“You’ve put so much into your career, and your dad and I have always supported you and always will. But I know you, Yaz. If someone is doing the wrong thing then you can’t compromise on that. Come here, sweetheart.”</p><p>Yaz nodded, and wiped at her face again. Her mum pulled her close and Yaz buried her head in her chest. She hitched a breath, and could smell the flowery scent of her mum’s face cream.  </p><p>Later, when Yaz was pulling in steady, even breaths, her mum tucked her into bed and pushed her hair back from her face.</p><p>“I’m proud of you, you know. Whatever happens.”</p><p>“Thanks, mum,” Yaz said, and her voice sounded exhausted even to her own ears.</p><p>“Night, Yaz,” her mum said, but Yaz was already asleep.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>[WhatsApp: 2 unread messages]</p><p>
  <strong>Ryan</strong>
</p><p>[07:04]</p><p>Ramesh says you can have the day off – there’s a lot of down time today. Think you could use the break tbh</p><p>[10:03]</p><p>Hey, grandad’s going up the hill tonight, you coming?</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>UKSA retweeted</p><p><strong>Dr Noor Khan</strong> @Astro_NKhan 4h</p><p>When @Astro_JSmith does ten experiments at once [clown emoji]</p><p>
  <em>[Image Alt Text: A photo of someone in a space suit floating in the air, clearly out of control. Approximately twenty tools are scattered in the air around them, untethered.]</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><strong>NASA</strong> @NASA 4h</p><p>Replying to @Astro_NKhan @Astro_JSmith</p><p>Memories!</p><p> </p><p><strong>The Doctor</strong> @Astro_JSmith 1h</p><p>Replying to @Astro_NKhan</p><p>The maddest scientists make the best breakthroughs!</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Yaz’s mum was hesitant about Yaz going out that evening, but once Sonya had exclaimed ‘you’re going out? You’ve actually got friends?’ her mum had seen her through the door with a smile.</p><p>Yaz was on the train station platform, waiting for Ryan to arrive. Her phone chimed.</p><p> </p><p>WhatsApp: [1 unread message]</p><p>
  <strong>Mum</strong>
</p><p>Love you, sweetheart x</p><p> </p><p>Yaz smiled, and replied in kind. Maybe she couldn’t tell her mum what had happened, but she knew she had her back.</p><p>Ryan arrived a few minutes later with a Sainsburys bag full of snacks.</p><p>“Alright?” he asked.</p><p>“Yeah. Mum insisted I bring these with me.” She held up a Tupperware pot. “Gol gappe,” she said. She held up the other one. “Jalebi.”</p><p>“Ahh oh my god – are they those sugary pretzel things?” Ryan grabbed the Tupperware and peeked inside. “Yaz, your mum is the best.”</p><p>“Alright, talk any louder and she’ll hear you.”</p><p>“No, seriously, I will literally pay her good money to make me these.”</p><p>Yaz laughed and took the Tupperware back. “Well don’t get your hopes up, I might not let you have any.”</p><p>They set off up the hill to meet Ryan’s grandad.</p><p>Ryan fiddled with the Sainsburys bag as he walked.</p><p>“I got some crisps and popcorn. And Coke.”</p><p>“Well let’s hope your grandad brought some actual food with him.”</p><p>“Yeah….” Ryan said, dragging out the word.</p><p>The weather had stayed warm and the night was mild, although Yaz was glad she’d brought her jacket and a spare blanket. The breeze whipped fast up the side of the hill.</p><p>The sky was darkening rapidly by the time they spotted the picnic site. Graham waved at them.</p><p>“Hey! Over ‘ere, you two.”</p><p>There was another man who Yaz hadn’t met before, who was fiddling with a complicated looking telescope laid out on a blanket in front of him. There were four camping chairs around it in a circle.</p><p>“Snazzy setup,” Yaz said.</p><p>“It ain’t that bad!” Graham said, and he got up to give Yaz a hug. They’d met several times since he’d married Ryan’s nan, and Yaz had a soft spot for him.</p><p>Graham gestured to the other guy. He was older than Graham, with a short, messy moustache and beard, and white hair curling out from under a bright red beanie.</p><p>He held out his hand for Yaz to shake. “Wilfred Mott. But you can call me Wilf,” he said, in a warm, slightly raspy voice.</p><p>“I’m Yaz, Ryan’s friend,” she replied.</p><p>“Oh yeah, I’ve heard about you,” he said, “Graham says you’re possibly the most intelligent person in Sheffield.”</p><p>“You know,” Ryan said, “I take offense to that.”</p><p>“So do I. Only Sheffield?” Yaz exclaimed, staring pointedly at Graham.</p><p>“Alright, alright. What is this, Take The Mick Out Of Graham Day?” he said, shaking his head. “Anyway, I’ll think you’ll find the most intelligent person in Sheffield is my wife.”</p><p>Yaz and Ryan groaned in unison.</p><p>“You have to say that,” Ryan said.</p><p>“No! No! Seriously. Grace is the most intelligent person I’ve ever known in my life.”</p><p>Yaz caught Wilf’s eye and they both snickered.</p><p>“I can’t win!” Graham griped.</p><p>Ryan tipped his spoils out onto the blanket between them.</p><p>“Right, what have we got here?” Graham mused, leaning down to rifle through the pile. “Crisps. Popcorn? Marshmallows? Ryan!”</p><p>“What?” Ryan asked defensively.</p><p>“This is supposed to be dinner, not movie snacks!”</p><p>Ryan crossed his arms. “What did you bring then?”</p><p>Graham held up one finger, gesturing with it dramatically. “I. <em>I</em> actually got some proper food.” He twisted in his chair and unwrapped four boxes from inside a blanket.</p><p>“Ahh Dominos! Nice one, grandad.”</p><p>Graham held out his arms as if to say, <em>what did I tell you?</em></p><p>While that drama played out, Wilf passed around four metal thermoses filled with boiling water, and laid out black tea bags, instant coffee, and a tiny cartoon of long life milk.</p><p>“It’s warm out now,” he said, “but in a couple hours you’ll be glad to hold these. Make sure you put them in this bag so they don’t get cold."</p><p>“I guess it’s my turn then,” Yaz said. “I didn’t bring much. In this tub we’ve got gol gappe. They’ve got chickpeas and potatoes inside them. And afterwards we can have these.” She showed them the jalebi.</p><p>“These are amazing,” Ryan said, and pilfered one from the pot.</p><p>“Hey!” Yaz swatted his hand. “Afterwards, Ryan!”</p><p>“Time is a construct Yaz. Who says you have to have certain foods for dinner or breakfast?”</p><p>“I do. Keep your hands off.”</p><p>Ryan raised his eyebrows and held his hands up in mock surrender.</p><p>[…]</p><p>Later, after they’ve polished off the pizza and shared out the snacks (the jalebi and gol gappe were gone in five minutes), Yaz found herself a little ways off with Wilf.</p><p>He leaned back in his chair and looked up at the sky.</p><p>“S’beautiful,” he said.</p><p>“Yeah,” Yaz replied. Somewhere up there the International Space Station was circling them.</p><p>The sky was clear that night – much clearer than Yaz had expected considering they were so near the city. And the city never sleeps.</p><p>“And your lady’s somewhere up there, isn’t she?”</p><p>Yaz looked over at him. He was peering up at the sky, squinting as if he could see the station with the power of will.</p><p>“Yeah,” Yaz said, “I guess she is.” She didn’t look too closely at ‘your lady’.</p><p>“Huh.”</p><p>Wilf nodded, appraisingly. “Amazing. There’s a whole <em>universe</em> out there, and us humans, we’re just on the tip of it. One day Yaz, people will be up there in space, living there, and flying billions and billions of light years away, just like <em>that</em>,” and he snapped his fingers in the air with a great flourish.</p><p>“Yeah, I hope so,” Yaz said, “that’s a long time off though, well after our time, Wilf.”</p><p>He grunted. “Well after my time maybe, but you, young lady, you’ll be up there soon enough. Forging new paths, exploring uncharted space.”</p><p>“Going where no man has gone before.”</p><p>Wilf laughed and stood up. “Alright,” he said, “come here.”</p><p>Yaz shuffled her chair over to him. He’d pressed his eye right up to the telescope in front of him and was adjusting it. The other side of his face was all scrunched up. When he was satisfied he pulled away.</p><p>“Look through it now, and you’ll see what I mean.”</p><p>“What am I looking at?” Yaz asked, as she stood up and situated herself behind the eyepiece.</p><p>“Where you’re looking now, there are five really bright stars. Four of them make a diamond shape, and the fifth is the tail. Do you see it?”</p><p>Yaz frowned, squinted, and then suddenly the shape formed across the sky. “Oh. Yeah, I see it.”</p><p>“That constellation is called Lyra,” Wilf explained. “On a really clear day, and in the right place, you can see it without a telescope.”</p><p>“They’re so bright,” Yaz said.</p><p>“The one at the tail is the brightest one,” Wilf said. “That one’s Vega, the same as the shuttle your lady was on.”</p><p>Yaz stared at it for a moment longer, and then straightened up and looked in the same direction with her naked eye. The stars spread out across the night sky like a beaded blanket.</p><p>“One day, Yaz, you’re gonna be up there among the stars, and you’ll be seeing Vega up close with your own eyes.”</p><p>“It’s beautiful,” Yaz said. She couldn’t resist another look through the telescope.</p><p>“Right. Now…” Wilf said, and ushered her out of the way. He made a series of adjustments to the telescope, and then gestured for Yaz to return to her position.</p><p>“Vega’s right at the top of the picture you’ve got there. There are two other bright stars; one to the left and the other right down at the bottom. That one’s called Altair.”</p><p>Yaz found Vega, and formed the triangle with her mind’s eye.</p><p>“I know it sounds silly, but people from all over the world have formed stories from looking up at the stars. This is one of my favourite ones, see. The Chinese say Altair and Vega are a man and woman in love. The Milky Way is the river that separates them, but once a year magpies fly up and make a bridge so they can be together.”</p><p>Yaz drew back from the telescope and looked at Wilf.</p><p>“I don’t know, Yaz. Maybe I’m just a sentimental old man. But I think that says a lot about us, you know. Humans. No matter how far apart we are from our dreams or the people we love, others will come together to help us get there. Silly, I suppose.”</p><p>Yaz thought about the Doctor, in danger up in the vast expanse of space, and Noor unhesitatingly coming to her rescue. The crew on the station banding together to find the tethers; Ryan and herself coordinating it all.  </p><p>She took Wilf’s gloved hand in hers.</p><p>“I don’t think it’s silly at all,” she said. “I think it’s beautiful.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1.) Where is this hill? No idea, mate.<br/>2.) If I spelled gol gappe or jalebi wrong please let me know because google has...so many variations. Similarly google told me it's called gol gappe in the Punjab and not panipuri.<br/>3.) Credit where credit's due - I first learned about Vega and Altair from the Karate Kid remake.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Mission Compromised</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>9<sup>th</sup> March 2020</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>[No Subject]</p><p><strong>Doctor Jo Smith</strong> &lt;thedoctor_smith@uksa.gov.uk&gt;</p><p>Mon 09/03/2020 13:41</p><p>“Hey, Ryan said you got the day off today – nice one.</p><p>I’m sorry for being so maudlin last night.</p><p>Did you know it’s world sleep day this Friday? I might try and convince Ramesh to let me and Noor have a full day off. I would have scheduled it in during mission planning if I’d known. You can never be too prepared!</p><p>Have a great day off!”</p><p>-</p><p>Doctor Jo Smith, PhD</p><p> </p><p>[FW: No Subject]</p><p><strong>Doctor Jo Smith</strong> &lt;thedoctor_smith@uksa.gov.uk&gt;</p><p>Mon 09/03/2020 16:06</p><p>“Can you believe Ramesh said no to Friday? Are there no perks to this job??”</p><p>-</p><p>Doctor Jo Smith, PhD</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>10<sup>th</sup> March 2020</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>[Subject: Appt. today]</p><p><strong>Doctor Ramesh Sunder</strong> &lt;dr_rsunder@uksa.gov.uk&gt;</p><p>Tues 10/03/2020 08:12</p><p>“Yaz, please pop by my office this afternoon for an informal chat.</p><p>Thanks,</p><p>Ramesh”</p><p>-</p><p>Doctor Ramesh Sunder, PhD</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>“Hi, Yaz,” Ramesh said, as she pushed open his office door, “come in, sit down.”</p><p>Yaz did as he asked, taking one of the seats opposite his desk. From the window she could see out into the car park of the base. An endless grid of sun dusted cars in red and blue and white. Sunlight glinted off a silver car by the window and fell on Yaz’s face. It was hot, and she was uncomfortable.</p><p>She waited, impatiently, as Ramesh finished up whatever he was doing on his computer.</p><p>Finally he turned to regard her.</p><p>“Yaz...” he said, hesitantly.</p><p>“You said this was an informal chat?” she prompted.</p><p>“Yeah. Look. You’ve been spending a lot of time in the office. Is everything okay?”</p><p>Yaz frowned. “Yeah, why wouldn’t it be?”</p><p>“If you’re finding it hard to cope with the workload then it’s best we get it sorted-“</p><p>Yaz shook her head vehemently.</p><p>“I’m just saying, Yaz,” Ramesh continued, pointedly, “I know when you’re clocking in and out, and you’re working far too much overtime to be healthy. We need you on top form.”</p><p>“I’m making sure I do my job properly.”</p><p>“And you’re doing great. But you’re dealing with an extreme situation.”</p><p>Yaz shook her head again. “This is what I’m trained to do. In this situation it’s even more important that it’s done right.”</p><p>Ramesh appraised her with searching eyes. “Alright Yaz. Spread the work more evenly with Ryan for now and give yourself a bit of a break. There’s something else I need to speak with you about.”</p><p>Dread crept over her. She knew there’d be something more.</p><p>Ramesh sighed. “You know all comms are recorded and transcribed. Yaz, you know I don’t want to pry, but I need to know if you and Doctor Smith have got something going on.”</p><p>Yaz’s mouth fell open in shock. “Something…? We’re friends!”</p><p>“I need to ask, Yaz. You’ve had a lot of personal conversations over the last week, and whatever might be going on, it can’t compromise the mission.”</p><p>“Sir,” Yaz said, “I’ve never been anything less than professional-“</p><p>“During scheduled hours, I know. And it needs to stay professional, alright? There’s another thing...it hasn’t come to anyone’s attention yet, but using the comms privately…it’s a problem of resources-“</p><p>“Please just spit it out,” Yaz said, irritably.</p><p>Ramesh leaned across his desk and Yaz felt like an irritating fly he was trying to swat.</p><p>“Look, Yaz”, he said, “there’s going to be an investigation.”</p><p>Yaz’s heart sank. “An investigation,” she repeated, slowly. She’d wondered…but then she’d hoped it wouldn’t come to that. Hoped that bureaucracy wouldn’t rear its unprincipled head.</p><p>“Yeah. <em>An investigation.</em> Of course there’s going to be an investigation,” Ramesh shook his head in exasperation. “Look, the higher-ups are <em>not</em> happy you called an end to Sunday’s EVA with three hours to go. Do you realise how far behind schedule that puts us?”</p><p>“Of course I know!” Yaz snapped back, “The engines were never meant to be an issue in the first place.”</p><p>“Exactly. And it still isn’t fixed. So far this mission has been a complete cock up, and because they think I’ve lost control of my crew, <em>I’m</em> in the shit too.”</p><p>Yaz bristled in defiance. “With respect, <em>sir</em>, I reserve the right to ignore your decisions if you’re putting lives in danger.”</p><p>Ramesh raised his eyebrows. “You want to talk about danger to life? By calling the EVA early you turned the shuttle into a minefield. Noor never went back to retrieve her tools, <em>and</em> we lost a wrench in the commotion.”</p><p>“The repair site was stabilised,” Yaz countered.</p><p>“Yeah, temporarily. But you know the risks of leaving a job unfinished on the outside. We’re sending Noor back out tonight to retrieve her kit.”</p><p>Yaz went to protest, but Ramesh stopped her with a raised hand.</p><p>“Trust me, I don’t want to send her out so soon, but we’ve got no choice. She’s the only one who knows exactly how she left the site, and we can’t risk anyone else’s suits getting compromised if they miss a foothold or get caught on something sharp. It’s too dangerous.”</p><p>Yaz’s heart sunk. The consequences of her decision drowned her.</p><p>“Oh,” she murmured.</p><p>“Yeah. Oh. And there’s no guarantee micro-collisions haven’t destabilised the tools,” Ramesh said.</p><p>Yaz let her eyes slip closed for a moment. Of course. She hadn’t thought about the microscopic meteors that would undoubtedly hit the station.</p><p>Ramesh’s eyes were flinty, but after a moment of silence he softened, and let out a long sigh.</p><p>“I know what you were thinking Yaz, but you’ve got to look at the bigger picture.”</p><p>Yaz considered for a moment, then shook her head. “I stand by my decision. The immediate danger was to Doctor Smith’s life, and with all due respect, sir, I wasn’t the one panicking in the control room.”</p><p>Ramesh’s mouth formed a hard line. He straightened a stack of papers on his desk, didn’t meet her eyes.</p><p>“I’m passing the message on, Yaz. As of today, you’re under review.”</p><p>Yaz bit back the protest on her tongue. Arguing wasn’t worth the consequences.</p><p>She nodded.</p><p>“Thank you for the warning,” she said, and she made sure her stride was slow and steady as she left his office.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1.) 13 March 2020 was, in fact, World Sleep Day.<br/>2.) EVAs are usually six and a half hours and planned down to the last second, so you can see I'm taking many liberties for the purposes of this fic.<br/>3.) Spacesuits have kevlar in them to try and prevent microscopic tears caused by micrometeoroids. Tools and the exterior of the station, etc, are made to be as smooth and easy-to-use as possible for the same reason, but sometimes outside experiments or components have sharp edges, and in that case it's thoroughly documented so astronauts know exactly what and where to avoid.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Scaramouche, Scaramouche</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>12<sup>th</sup> March 2020</strong>
</p><p> </p><p><strong>UKSA</strong> @UKSA 3h</p><p>At 13:00 today Dr Jo Smith @Astro_JSmith and @Astro_NKhan will be answering your questions live from the ISS @Space_Station. Tweet your Qs and #AskTheDoctors</p><p> </p><p><strong>callmebymy(chosen)name</strong> @the_deathless 20m</p><p>Replying to @UKSA @Astro_JSmith @AstroNKhan @Space_Station</p><p>#AskTheDoctors can we have some spacewalk footage?</p><p> </p><p><strong>Marys Poppin Pussy </strong>@neilbeauchanan 34m</p><p>Replying to @UKSA @Astro_JSmith @AstroNKhan @Space_Station</p><p>Will there be a transcript/BSL translator for this video? #AskTheDoctors</p><p> </p><p><strong>UKSA</strong> @UKSA 13m</p><p>Replying to @neilbeauchanan</p><p>We’ll have a transcript up on our site later today and @Astro_JSmith will be hosting a BSL Q&amp;A next week.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Bob Gresham</strong> @BobGresh 45m</p><p>Replying to @UKSA @Astro_JSmith @AstroNKhan @Space_Station</p><p>#AskTheDoctors is @UKSA better than @NASA lol</p><p> </p><p><strong>Fatima_Laughs</strong> @thatsciencegal 46m</p><p>Replying to @UKSA @Astro_JSmith @AstroNKhan @Space_Station</p><p>#AskTheDoctors Dr Khan what would you say to other British Muslims interested in aerospace study?</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>UKSA retweeted</p><p><strong>The Doctor</strong> @Astro_JSmith 5h</p><p>Keep your eyes peeled for Breaking Dad season 3! @BradleyWalsh</p><p>
  <em>[Image Alt Text: A photo of a blonde woman on board the International Space Station, facing to the right and grinning. She’s doing a thumbs up. On the left is an intentionally badly photoshopped picture of Bradley Walsh in the same position. They are back to back. In the background Earth is visible.]</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><strong>The Chase</strong> @ITVChase 5h</p><p>Replying to @Astro_JSmith @BradleyWalsh</p><p>Don’t leave him behind – we need him next season! 😂</p><p> </p><p><strong>Barney Walsh</strong> @DontSayDinosaur 2h</p><p>Replying to @Astro_JSmith </p><p>Is it really Breaking Dad if I’m not on board? #UpForAdoption</p><p> </p><p><strong>Ryan Sinclair</strong> @SpaceSinclair 1h</p><p>Replying to @Astro_JSmith @DontSayDinosaur</p><p>Here you go mate</p><p>
  <em>[Image Alt Text: same photo as the doctor posted but with barney walsh badly photoshopped so it looks he’s still on the earth]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>UKSA retweeted</p><p><strong>The Doctor</strong> @Astro_JSmith 6h</p><p>Dear Earth: Space Diary, E1. Did you know the @Space_Station orbits the Earth every 90 minutes?</p><p>
  <em>[Video description: Time-lapse footage of the Earth from the International Space Station in a 24 hour period.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p><strong>The Doctor</strong> @Astro_Smith 7h</p><p>#BSL: Funtastic Space Facts for Kids, E1:</p><p>
  <em>[Video description: A 3 minute video of a woman telling the camera facts about space in British Sign Language.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>13<sup>th</sup> March 2020</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“Come in, Yaz!”</p><p>The Doctor’s bubbly voice piped up over Yaz’s headset.</p><p>“You know,” Yaz began, setting her pen down on top of her notepad, “You’re meant to say ‘Vega I to Sheffield’ or ‘Sheffield, this is Vega I’ or something like that.”</p><p>“You know how I feel about procedure.”</p><p>“Yeah, I do,” Yaz said, grudgingly.</p><p>“Anyway this is your line – who else am I gonna be talking to?”</p><p>“No such thing as too much security, I guess.”</p><p>“You would know, Constable Khan.”</p><p>“Oi, you think I’d still be a Constable at 28?”</p><p>“Oh sorry, <em>Sergeant</em>. Actually, you know, Constable Khan’s got the alliteration but Sergeant Khan’s got the rhyme.”</p><p>“Well, give me another few years and you’ll be calling me <em>Doctor</em>,” Yaz said, grinning. She idly wished they could mock up a video chat, but that would be pushing way too far.</p><p>“Oo, we can be a gang. The Three Doctors. Smith and Khans. Khan and Smith and Khan. Double-Khan and Smith.”</p><p>“I quite fancy The Two Khans, but I’m not sure how you’d fit in. They say three’s a crowd.”</p><p>“You wound me, Yaz!”</p><p>“Well you’d better get started on improving the med equipment then,” Yaz shot back. She leaned back in her chair and flipped to a blank page in her notepad, doodling absently.</p><p>The control room was empty since the astronauts were on downtime and it was the night shift. There was just a skeleton crew in the complex, but all of them had their own offices.</p><p>“I call up for a chat and this is the reception I get? That’s no way to treat the astronauts in your confidence," the Doctor said.</p><p>“Well, why don’t you confide in me and then I’ll make it up to you?” Yaz said, without thinking. She immediately felt blood rush to her cheeks.</p><p>“Alright,” the Doctor said, and Yaz was grateful she didn’t call her on the innuendo, “this is a pretty big one, and you’re not allowed to judge me.”</p><p>Yaz’s brow furrowed. She wasn’t expecting the Doctor to actually reveal any of her deepest darkest secrets.</p><p>“The thing is,” the Doctor continued, “the thing is… I sang karaoke today.”</p><p>“That’s it. That’s your deep dark secret?” Yaz asked. She wondered if the Doctor had changed her mind, or if she was just having her on. Knowing the Doctor it was probably the latter.</p><p>“Yes! It was really embarrassing! A couple of the cosmonauts on board whipped out some instruments and started playing tunes and Noor-“</p><p>“Oh right, so Doctor Khan and several Russians witnessed this top secret karaoke concert?”</p><p>Yaz couldn’t help enjoying ribbing the Doctor. She was a great storyteller, and even better when she was playfully protesting Yaz’s jibes.</p><p>“I think Noor might actually have footage of it,” the Doctor said, stage-whispering. Yaz huffed in amusement at the Doctor’s poor acting skills. She immediately sent off an email to Dr Khan, requesting the footage for PR. She also knew Dr Khan would see through that excuse, but she suspected the woman had sly side underneath her professionalism.</p><p>“Go on then, tell me about your concert,” Yaz urged.</p><p>“Welllllll,” the Doctor began, “we were all together because we watched Willy Wonka – thanks for sending that up, by the way – and then two of the lads got out their guitars and next thing I know they’re performing an entire acoustic concert two hundred miles above the Earth.”</p><p>Yaz spun slowly in her desk chair, pushing off with her toes. “So you requested some songs,” she suggested.</p><p>“Got it in one! This one lad, Alonso, asked them to play Queen, so I heckled him until he started singing along, but he was useless! Couldn’t hit the high notes at all. So I had to show him how to do it properly,” she explained, “and now Noor has a video of me singing Don’t Stop Me Now.”</p><p>“Oh no,” Yaz giggled, “okay, that’s really embarrassing.”</p><p>“I said no judging!”</p><p>“Well it could have been worse I ‘spose, you could have sung Bohemian Rhapsody.”</p><p>“Don’t be silly, Yaz, I can’t get <em>that</em> high.”</p><p>“Have you tried?” Yaz challenged. “Go on.”</p><p>“Yaz, you’re gonna make me lose my street cred,” the Doctor said sternly. Yaz imagined her wagging her finger.</p><p>“Oh go on,” Yaz begged. “You’re the one who brought it up!”</p><p>“Okay, I can’t believe I’m doing this. You gotta give me a lead in though.”</p><p>“Alright, gimme a sec,” Yaz said. She hummed through the first couple of verses. “You ready?”</p><p>“Always,” the Doctor said.</p><p>“…I see a little silhouetto of a man, Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango?”</p><p>The Doctor joined her for the next line.</p><p>“Thunderbolts and lightning, very very frightening, ME!”</p><p>“Galileo!” the Doctor yelled, “Gallileo! Gallileo Figaro!”</p><p>Yaz choked.</p><p>The Doctor giggled. “You know, I think that was pretty magnifico.”</p><p>“Oh, shut up, Doctor,” Yaz laughed. “That was so bad, gosh.”</p><p>“Oi! You couldn’t do any better.”</p><p>“Oh no, no way!” Yaz protested. “I’m not falling for that.”</p><p>“Honestly, double standards everywhere. Where’s your sense of fair play, Yaz?”</p><p>“Nope. I’m not singing.”</p><p>The Doctor hummed. “One day I’ll get you back for that.”</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>[Subject: I’m an idiot!]</p><p><strong>Doctor Jo Smith</strong> &lt;thedoctor_smith@uksa.gov.uk&gt;</p><p>Fri 13/03/2020 23:47</p><p>“Yaz! I should have said: ‘The Two Khans, like the Two Ronnies because you’re a comedy act.’</p><p>Feel the burn!”</p><p>-</p><p>Doctor Jo Smith, PhD</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1.) All of the twitter handles are made up (although some of them probably are actual users) except for @ITVChase and @BradleyWalsh which are legit. Bradley Walsh's twitter is just for publicity purposes irl. As far as I know Barney Walsh doesn't have a public twitter. </p><p>2.) I saw some references on the NASA website somewhere about astronauts doing videos in sign language, but there's no way I'll ever find it in the mess of my search history now. Astronauts on the ISS do Q&amp;As and produce other publicity material.</p><p>3.) Astronauts can watch films up on the ISS. Books and films and other entertainment is sent up on resupply shuttles. I'm pretty sure they keep a guitar in the space station, and astronauts have been known to play other things up there, such as the bagpipes. </p><p>4.) The Two Ronnies were Ronnie Corbett and Ronnie Barker. They did a popular sketch show in the 70s and 80s. I've only watched the odd episode but I remember jokes based in wordplay and stories with lots of tangents, which I think suits the Doctor pretty well.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Inevitably, Space</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Present</strong>
</p><p>Yaz’s dad was not a great cook. To be fair, Jo thought, Yaz had warned her as much, and regardless of how bad the pakora was Jo thought it was possibly the best meal of her life.</p><p>Her and Yaz’s dad had hit it off pretty quickly. He was the sort of person who had a good sense of humour, and took things in stride. Yaz’s mum, Najia, was a harder nut to crack. Yaz always spoke about her mother with such love, even when she was annoyed with her, and Jo had been so excited to meet her that she’d jumped into a bear hug as soon as Najia greeted them at the door. Jo realised afterwards, at the sound Najia’s surprised gasp, and Yaz’s raised eyebrows, that she’d probably overstepped the mark.</p><p>“I’m so happy to meet you,” she’d said in explanation, “Yaz has told me so much about you. All of you.”</p><p>She’d looked around the room then, gesturing to them all. Yaz’s sister had seemed bemused, Yaz’s mum taken aback, and Yaz’s dad was grinning.</p><p>“It’s nice to have you, Doctor,” he’d said.</p><p>“Please, call me Jo,” she’d corrected, quickly.</p><p>“It’s a pleasure,” Najia said. “We haven’t heard much about you though. I mean, of course Yaz can’t tell us much about what goes on-“</p><p>“Mum,” Yaz said.</p><p>“But we’re so glad to meet you at last.”</p><p>Both of them exhaled, and the tension eased.</p><p>“Come on,” Yaz had said, slipping her shoes off, “let’s eat as much of this pakora as we can.”</p><p>“Yasmin?” a voice called.</p><p>“Nani! Dad said you’d be coming!”</p><p>Yaz’s smile bloomed wide, and Jo followed her eager step through to the living room. An old woman sat in a wheelchair at the table, arms outstretched to take Yaz’s hands in hers. Yaz sat in the chair beside her and the woman cupped her face gently before taking her hands.</p><p>“Yasmin, you’ve been so busy working! I haven’t seen you in so long.”</p><p>“Did you watch the shuttle launch, nani?”</p><p>“Of course I did. I’m so proud of you. Now, introduce this lovely lady to me.”</p><p>Jo stepped forwards, drawing a chair up close beside Yaz.</p><p>“Hi! It’s amazing to meet you,” she said.</p><p>“Umbreen’s been dying to meet <em>you</em>,” Hakim said.</p><p>“Only because Yaz has never brought anyone home before,” Sonya said, sniggering.</p><p>“Shut up Sonya,” Yaz said. “Nani, this is Jo.”</p><p>“I have been waiting to meet you, Jo. Anyone Yasmin cares for, I care for. And of course, I must make sure you are good enough for her.”</p><p>Deep laugh lines shaped Umbreen’s smiling mouth, and her eyes crinkled at the edges.</p><p>“I really hope so,” Jo replied.</p><p>“Well, you’ll have to figure that out while we eat,” Najia said.</p><p>And so Jo had insisted on helping plate up, and when she finally sat down Yaz had squeezed her hand briefly under the table.</p><p>Jo was fascinated all throughout dinner. She couldn’t help but study how Yaz’s family worked. Sonya and Yaz ribbing their father over his food was constant throughout the meal, and yet Hakim never took the bait. When they weren’t targeting their dad, Yaz and Sonya insulted each other almost constantly. Najia and Umbreen were obviously very close and often broke off from the main conversation to talk amongst themselves. Jo was sure at one point they were talking about her in an undertone, but afterwards Najia seemed warmer towards her, so she was more than alright with that.</p><p>About halfway through the meal, the conversation turned, inevitably, to space.</p><p>“I just know that these organisations are hiding <em>something</em>,” Hakim said, fervently. “NASA and UKSA are both government organisations. It’s obvious-“</p><p>“It’s a <em>conspiracy!</em>” Yaz and Sonya said in unison.</p><p>“Girls, you may laugh, but I guarantee you there are things they aren’t telling us. Yaz knows what I mean.”</p><p>Yaz smirked. “But even if I did, I wouldn’t be able to tell you, would I dad?”</p><p>“Don’t encourage him, Yaz,” Najia complained.</p><p>“No, go on,” Jo said, leaning over her empty plate eagerly. “I haven’t heard this before.”</p><p>Sonya groaned loudly, and Jo saw Umbreen shaking her head from the corner of her eye.</p><p>“No?” Jo asked, looking around theatrically. “Just humour me.”</p><p>Hakim matched her, leaning forward over his own clean plate.</p><p>“But before you start, this isn’t a moon landing thing, is it?”</p><p>Hakim shook his head. “No, no, nothing like that. I believe we’ve been in space-“</p><p>“We have, dad,” Yaz said, sighing.</p><p>“-but I think it’s been going on much longer than anyone thinks.”</p><p>“Ooh, go on,” Jo said.</p><p>“The most obvious example is the Russians.”</p><p>“Oh not the Russians again,” Najia said. She shook her head in exasperation and stood up to start collecting the plates. Clearly that was one person who couldn’t stand to hear the story again.</p><p>“The Phantom Cosmonauts,” Hakim continued.</p><p>“Oh yeah I’ve heard of them. Won’t believe how many Russians up on the station get mad when you mention them.”</p><p>“Because it’s a cover-up!” Hakim exclaimed. “They probably don’t even know about it themselves. Yuri whatshisname was meant to be the first person in space, but there’s conclusive evidence of a least one cosmonaut dying in the same year which the Soviets covered up.”</p><p>“Yeah, dad, but the rest of it’s just rumours,” Yaz countered. “There’ve been investigations and everything, and no-one’s found anything.”</p><p>“I’m not denying that. But they only got caught out on that guy’s death because the public knew about him before, and they still kept it a secret for fifteen years. Who can really say what else they’ve kept a secret?”</p><p>Umbreen moved her hand towards Jo’s, getting her attention. “Hakim’s been like this ever since Najia met him. Conspiracies everywhere. Last year he spent six months gathering evidence about the council’s waste disposal.”</p><p>“And I was right about that, wasn’t I?” Hakim asked her. He turned back to Jo. “The council were employing a private firm to move industrial waste around Sheffield, without disposing of it properly. No-one was doing anything about it.”</p><p>“Not until you pulled up outside the offices and dumped a truckload of rubbish at their front door,” Yaz said.</p><p>“Really?” Jo asked, completely intrigued.</p><p>“It made my point. We haven’t had a problem since then.”</p><p>“Okay, but the lost cosmonauts theory is just rubbish. You sound like you’re still in the Cold War when you talk like that.”</p><p>“Aha! But that’s the whole reason they’d cover it up! They’re trying to get into space before the Americans, they have to show their power, so what are they going to do when people die? Cover it up. I wouldn’t be surprised if NASA had a similar record. What do you think, Jo?”</p><p>“Oh I don’t know. Open mind, me. Some conspiracies start with a grain of truth, and others-“</p><p>“Are absolutely whack?” Sonya asked, eyebrows raised.</p><p>“Not how I’d put it, but basically, yeah.”</p><p>“Don’t worry about hurting his feelings, Jo, you can tell him he’s an idiot. We all do,” Najia said, returning to the table.</p><p>“And you know what, it’s refreshing to have someone listen to me for a change,” Hakim teased. But he slid over in his seat and put his arm around Najia all the same.</p><p>Jo felt a nudge at her shoulder, and glanced over to see Yaz smiling at her, eyes shining. She sat back a little, and their arms pressed firmly together from elbow to shoulder.</p><p>Later, after tea and drinks and more friendly banter, Umbreen gestured Jo over to the side of the room.</p><p>Jo sat on the sofa next to her wheelchair, and Umbreen smiled at her.</p><p>“You’ve got a strong will, Jo,” Umbreen began, “and Yasmin is the same. You both remind me of myself when I was younger.”</p><p>She paused briefly.</p><p>“I want to give you some advice. If you really love someone, then they’re worth fighting for, no matter who or what might stand in your way. I learnt that with my first husband. The two of you will be good for each other. Keep fighting.”</p><p>Her words touched something deep inside Jo. She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I already know Yaz is worth fighting for,” she said. “You have a brilliant family, Umbreen, and I think you’re all worth fighting for too.”</p><p>Umbreen leaned forward, and Jo accepted the kiss to her forehead gladly.</p><p>“What’s going on?” Yaz asked, dropping down into the chair on the other side of her nani.</p><p>“Umbreen’s giving me some very wise advice,” Jo said.</p><p>“You’ll want to keep a hold of this one, Yasmin,” Umbreen said.</p><p>“Soooo,” Jo asked, teasingly, “does that mean I’ve passed your test?”</p><p>Umbreen chuckled, and the creases around her eyes grew deeper.</p><p>“Yes, Jo. You’ve passed my test.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1.) The Phantom Cosmonauts or Lost Cosmonauts is a conspiracy that the Soviet Union tried to launch several human spaceflights in which the cosmonauts died, before their first human spaceflight in 1961 with Yuri Gargarin. All investigations proved inconclusive, but in 1986 details of Valentin Bondarenko's death in a training accident in 1961 were revealed. The conspiracy probably came about because after his death he was airbrushed out of publicly available photos of the first group of cosmonauts, as if he had never existed.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. HAMfisted</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>14<sup>th</sup> March 2020</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>[RE: PR material]</p><p><strong>Doctor Noor Khan</strong> dr_nkhan@uksa.gov.uk</p><p>Sat 14/03/2020 01:04</p><p>[1 attachment]</p><p>Dear Yasmin,</p><p>Here’s your<strike> blackmail</strike> PR material. Enjoy.</p><p>-</p><p>Dr Noor Khan, PhD</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>To Yaz’s delight, Ryan’s grandparents had embraced her as part of their family. She found herself sitting at the kitchen table with Ryan’s nan on her next day off, sipping a hot cup of flowery earl grey tea and sharing shortbread fingers.</p><p>“It’s so nice to have you here, love,” Grace said. She was dressed in her nurse’s garb, ready to start her shift at the hospital. “I’ve been telling Ryan to invite you round for months.”</p><p>“Ah yeah, he has, but it was never really the right time,” Yaz said. The excuse sounded weak to her own ears.</p><p>“You’re alright, love. You’ve got your eye on your career, and that’s the most important thing,” Grace said, and dunked a shortbread finger in her tea. “I watched the launch, you know. They were showing it on all the main channels. It’s amazing what you and Ryan have been up to, being part of it all.”</p><p>“Yeah, it is pretty amazing,” Yaz said, feeling a little more comfortable with the change of topic. “And it’s great working with Ryan. It was the weirdest moment when we met each other again at base.”</p><p>“You know,” Grace said teasingly, “I remember you at Redlands Primary, always playing with the other kids after school. When Ryan said he was working with you on the mission I sort of hoped you two might, you know.”</p><p>Yaz couldn’t help her shock. The idea had never even occurred to her. “Oh no, me and Ryan, we’re just friends.”</p><p>“Oh I know, love. I’m glad you get along so well. Ryan’s got a real friend in you. But anyway, enough about the boys. Have another biscuit, will you.”</p><p>Yaz dutifully took another shortbread finger from the rose-patterned plate between them.</p><p>“Tell me about your family. What’s that sister of yours up to? Your parents must be so proud of you both.”</p><p>Just then, Ryan rushed into the kitchen, pushing the back door open roughly in his haste.</p><p>“Yaz, grandad’s gonna make contact in about ten minutes,” he said.</p><p>“Oh, sorry! Sorry, Grace!” Yaz said, jumping out of her seat. She’d lost track of time. She quickly swilled her cup in the sink and followed Ryan out the door.</p><p>“That’s my cue to go to work. You lot have fun out there!” Grace called after them.</p><p>Yaz stepped out onto a cool patio. The garden was modest, with a patch of lawn and a weather-beaten fenced surround. Ivy clung to the corner of the house’s brickwork and crept along the fence. At the end of the garden was a converted concrete outhouse with antennae adorning it, and through the door Yaz could see Graham sitting at a desk stacked with equipment. Wires looped and crossed everywhere, and when she and Ryan piled into the shed she was careful where she put her hands.</p><p>“Alright, Yaz? Finally come to check out my set-up, eh?”</p><p>“This is well cool, Graham. How’d you find all this stuff?”</p><p>“Online mostly. It’s amazing what you can get for a few quid off eBay.”</p><p>Ryan shoved his hands in his pockets and peered at the equipment in front of him.</p><p>“You haven’t got the right frequency, grandad,” he said.</p><p>“Alright, gimme a chance,” Graham replied, and made a few adjustments.</p><p>“The station should be overhead in a few minutes,” Ryan said.</p><p>“Yeah, yeah, it’s all set up now,” Graham replied. “You know there’s no guarantee we’ll even get through, right?”</p><p>“That’s not a problem for us; we get to speak to them every day anyway,” Ryan replied.</p><p>“It’s nice for some. Us commoners have to sit and wait for a one in a million chance to talk to an astronaut.”</p><p>“Hey, you’re talking to two astronauts right now,” Ryan protested.</p><p>“Yeah well I’ll be grateful for that once you two have broken through the Earth’s atmosphere at least once in your lives.”</p><p>“You see the kind of support I get around here?” Ryan asked Yaz. She smirked at him.</p><p>“Even if we can’t get through today, it’s cool enough just seeing your setup,” she said to Graham. “How long have you been doing this?”</p><p>“How long have I been a ham? Maybe a couple years or so, I dunno. Fiddled about with it a bit before getting my license and it just grew from there.”</p><p>“He’s got a whole network of ‘ham’ friends,” Ryan said, doing the speech marks with his fingers and all.</p><p>“Yeah, and? You’ve got online friends, same thing, except we actually speak to each other instead of texting,” Graham replied. He turned back to Yaz. “That’s how I met Wilf. I first connected with him when I was visiting mates down in London.”</p><p>“That’s actually pretty cool,” Yaz said.</p><p>“See!” Graham said to Ryan. “We’d been planning to get through to the station together but you can’t predict the times, see, working on too short notice. It’s probably better with my set-up here anyway. Now, be quiet you two. This ain't easy, you know. The station probably won't pass so close to us again for a while. When you’re connecting with the other hams they’re usually in one place.”</p><p>Yaz thought about the station hurtling around the Earth.</p><p>“We’re not gonna get much time to talk to them, are we,” she said.</p><p>“Don’t get ahead of yourself. We might not get through at all,” Graham replied. He checked his watch and tapped his fingertips on a clear patch of desk.</p><p>“He’s tried once before but no luck,” Ryan said.</p><p>“Yeah, that was a long shot ‘cause we were just out of range. But this time that’s not a problem.”</p><p>Ryan checked his phone. “It’s been in range for a couple minutes already,” he said.</p><p>Static crackled through the speakers steadily, every now and then bursting and then fading away into a soft hum.</p><p>“No luck yet,” Graham murmured.</p><p>“It’s right overhead now, grandad. Window’s almost up,” Ryan warned.</p><p>Graham was resolute. “We might still catch the tail end of it.”</p><p>Then a thread of audio passed through the speaker. Yaz dived in and turned up the dial. The static was awful for a few brief moments, and then a voice cut through.</p><p>“stars are so bright, and-“</p><p>“’Ello?” Graham called loudly over the background static. “Can you hear me?”</p><p>“Ah, hello!” the voice replied. The line abruptly became a lot clearer.</p><p>“Hello!” Graham repeated, and then asked “is that the ISS? Have we got through?”</p><p>Ryan rolled his eyes.</p><p>“Yes, this is the ISS. Congratulations on connecting with us.”</p><p>Yaz was sure that voice sounded familiar.</p><p>“Doctor Khan, is that you?” she asked, tentatively.</p><p>“Yes, I’m Doctor Khan-“</p><p>“It’s me, Yaz! Yasmin Khan. Your CAPCOM,” she said, excitedly. She crouched even closer to the speaker in her eagerness, as if that could someone bring her closer to Noor. “I didn’t know you manned the radios.”</p><p>“Ah, yes. It is something of a hobby of mine. This is a lovely coincidence!”</p><p>“Hi Doctor Khan, it’s Ryan here,” Ryan said.</p><p>“And I’m Ryan’s grandad, Graham!”</p><p>Yaz met Graham’s eyes. His happiness was infectious. His eyes were shining and he couldn’t keep the smile off his face.</p><p>“Hello. I assume it’s your equipment you are all using, Graham?” Noor asked.</p><p>“That’s right. Can’t let the young’uns have all the fun,” Graham replied, in his element.</p><p>Noor said something else but the connection faltered, and the words were lost to the ether.</p><p>Graham leaned closer to the mic. “Doctor Khan, are you still there?”</p><p>“-yes, I’m- lovely to meet you, but- lose connection.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Graham said, “You’re almost out of range. Well anyway, cheers, Doctor Khan!”</p><p>There was no reply. A few seconds later Noor’s voice crackled through the speaker again, but she was talking to somebody else.</p><p>Graham slumped victoriously back in his chair. He looked as if he’d run a marathon and come through first.</p><p>“We did it!” he said, voice wild and eyes wide, “Yaz! Ryan! We got through to the station!”</p><p>Yaz grinned and held up a hand. Graham’s high-five was pretty feeble, but it felt like the mark of victory anyway.</p><p>Ryan clapped Graham on the shoulder. “We got about twenty five seconds. Alright, that was pretty cool, I’ll give you that. Still can’t believe you got it to work from a pile of junk in a storage shed though.”</p><p>“Yeah I’ll spruce this pile of junk right up and it’ll be as good as your comms centre soon enough, you’ll see.”</p><p>“Can’t wait,” Yaz said. “We’ll all be coming here to direct our missions.”</p><p>“See now <em>that</em> sounds boring. All talking in code and doing admin and all that. No thanks. Gimme my radio and my antenna and a network of blokes across the country and I’m a happy chappy.”</p><p>Graham clapped his hands and stood up.</p><p>“Right, who’s for a cuppa? I’ve got to call Wilf and tell him the news, come on.”</p><p>[…]</p><p>Later that evening, Yaz remotely logged into her work email to check on an engineering report. They hadn’t sent anything, but she did have a text from Ryan, and a personal email from Noor:</p><p> </p><p>WhatsApp: [1 unread message]</p><p>
  <strong>Ryan</strong>
</p><p>Check your email – grandads gonna be stealing my job next I swear it</p><p> </p><p>[Subject: HAM]</p><p><strong>Doctor Noor Khan</strong> dr_nkhan@uksa.gov.uk</p><p>Sat 14/03/2020 20:58</p><p>Dear Yasmin and Ryan,</p><p>It was a wonderful surprise to speak to you today over the radio. Ryan, please pass on my best wishes to your grandfather.</p><p>I have always been interested in amateur radio and often operate the radios on the weekends. When I’m not on a mission I pursue it as a hobby. Ryan, perhaps you could pass my email on to your grandfather? I’d be happy to introduce him to my personal network.</p><p>Enjoy the rest of your weekend.</p><p>-</p><p>Dr Noor Khan, PhD</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1.) God...okay. Somehow this was the hardest chapter I've ever written, and it's purely because my brain translates the info about HAM radio as 'jargon jargon jargon jargon', kinda like that ep of DW where Ten is teaching the science class: 'physics, physics, physics, physics, physics. any questions???'</p><p>2.) Following on from the above, my brain refuses to understand and/or explain this topic, so here are links to the sources I found helpful:<br/>- https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/ham-radio3.htm<br/>- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZGPR2G-6-o<br/>- https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html#</p><p>3.) Lesson learned. I'm never writing about anything that could possibly make me come into contact with the words 'frequency', 'hertz', or the sentence 'a circularly polarized crossed-Yagi antenna capable of being pointed in both azimuth (North-South-East-West) and elevation (degrees above the horizon)' ever again.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Demotion/Promotion</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chapter title inspired by Exterminate/Regenerate by Chameleon Circuit. Classic.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>16<sup>th</sup> March 2020</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Dr Ramesh Sunder was conspicuously absent from the control room the next day at work.</p><p>Yaz and the Doctor had been discussing the damage to the shuttle and how best ground control could support the astronauts with their repairs. Ryan was mostly silent on the line, compiling a rudimentary list of medical alterations the Doctor had made over the last week.</p><p>Around lunch time a woman Yaz hadn’t seen before pulled her away from the comms. They entered the Flight Director’s office and the woman sat behind Dr Sunder’s desk.</p><p>“Miss Khan,” she began, “I’m the new Flight Director for mission Vega I. Ada Lovelace. You can call me Ada. Doctor Sunder has been reassigned to the engineering division.”</p><p>Yaz was thrown. It was unprecedented for the Flight Director to be swapped out during a mission.</p><p>“Oh. Right,” she said, a furrow carving a line between her brows. “Why’s he been reassigned?”</p><p>“Please, sit,” Ada said, and Yaz sank into the chair opposite. “After the tethering problem Doctor Sunder wanted to work on reinforcing security materials for a supply run up to the station. And, it’s clear that he didn’t handle the situation with the spacewalk competently. This mission needs someone with a clear head in case of any further mishaps.”</p><p>“And that’s you?” Yaz asked.</p><p>Ada inclined her head.</p><p>“Sorry,” Yaz began, “but I don’t see what this has got to do with me?”</p><p>Ada sat forward. “We’d also like you to transfer to the engineering team.”</p><p>“What! Why?” Yaz’s heart sank.</p><p>“As the former CAPCOM of Vega I, you'll be the best advocate for astronauts in the face of the finance department.”</p><p>Yaz shook her head. “No way. I don’t buy it. If anything you’d want to keep me away from engineering if you think I’m gonna cost UKSA more money. And with the greatest respect I don’t think another staff shuffle is good for mission stability.”</p><p>“Miss Khan...I can assure you Mr Sinclair is more than capable of handling the comms-“</p><p>“No. No way! I’m not getting demoted! Ryan’s PhD’s in engineering!” Yaz interrupted, voice rising to a high pitch.</p><p>“Miss Khan!”</p><p>Yaz quietened again, knowing she’d pushed her luck too far.</p><p>Ada Lovelace affected an impassive posture. It sat unnaturally on her face, but the sharp parting bisecting her hair, which was pinned by into a tight bun, and her conservative, tailored dress made Yaz feel like an unruly child in the Headmistress’s office.</p><p>“Yasmin. You can’t allow your personal feelings to influence your work. Every mission, even routine ones, are critical. Professionalism and a certain emotional distance are necessary, <em>even</em> for CAPCOM.”</p><p>So that was the real reason then. Her friendship with the Doctor had cost her her job.</p><p>Yaz was breathing heavily, heart and stomach a nauseating pit inside her. Her eyes were glazed, unfocussed, and she already felt the separation between her and the rest of the control room.</p><p>“I’ve been demoted,” she said, voice low, disbelieving.</p><p>“This assignment will only last the duration of this mission, Yasmin. After that your chances for mission crews or comms will be as they were before.”</p><p>Yaz looked up, and saw that the woman’s face had softened.</p><p>“I’d better let Doctor Smith and Doctor Khan know,” Yaz said.</p><p>Ada stood up. “I’ll tell them myself.”</p><p>Yaz stared at her a moment before following. A non-astronaut speaking directly over the comms? Truly, this woman was unprecedented.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>“Doctor Smith,” Ada said, flicking on the loudspeaker so she didn’t have to wear headphones. The sound was quiet, and didn’t travel beyond Yaz and Ryan’s booth. “My name is Ada Lovelace. I’m taking over as Flight Director for the duration of this mission.”</p><p>“Ada Lovelace? Ha. You’re joking? Have a missed April 1<sup>st</sup>?” The Doctor’s voice sounded tinny as it crackled through the speaker, and Yaz tamped down the urge to put her headphones back on.</p><p>“No, Doctor. We’re still firmly in March as far as I’m aware. The first Ada Lovelace was a direct ancestor on my father’s side.”</p><p>“Oh, amazing! Amazing woman! Shame about that father of hers. Right rascal.”</p><p>“Please, Doctor. That’s my great-great-something grandfather you’re speaking of.”</p><p>Yaz glanced up at Ada from the corner of her eye, and saw her nose was crinkled from the effort of suppressing her smile.</p><p>“Yeah well we can’t have everything,” the Doctor quipped over the line.</p><p>Yaz stifled a giggle.</p><p>“Doctor Smith, from this point onwards you and Doctor Khan will be communicating primarily with Mr Sinclair. Miss Khan will have some time to brief you all before he takes over.”</p><p>“What? What’s happening to Yaz?”</p><p>“I’m being reassigned to engineering,” Yaz said, “I’ll make sure you get some stronger tethers alright? Don’t want you drifting off.”</p><p>Yaz steadfastly ignored the look Ryan and Ada were both shooting her. That was <em>barely</em> flirting!</p><p>“Miss Khan will be assisting Doctor Sunder with research benefitting future missions.”</p><p>A loud sigh burst through the speaker, sending it to static for a moment before the Doctor’s voice broke through.</p><p>“I know what this is about. Look, Ada, you are obviously a very, very intelligent scientist, and I really appreciate that, I do, I love a scientist, but I’m telling you that my and Yaz’s chattering isn’t affecting the mission.”</p><p>“I beg to differ.”</p><p>“No point begging for a fact to be false. If anything Yaz is a catalyst. Dunno where I’d be without her. Can’t have a spacewalk without Yaz.”</p><p>“Your last spacewalk on Friday was unauthorised, Doctor,” Ada pointed out.</p><p>“Yeah well I’ve got to have some way to clear my head! There’s no room to think when you’re all cooped up inside. It’s not exactly five stars in here.”</p><p>Yaz could see the clear amusement in Ada’s gaze. No-one was immune to the Doctor.</p><p>“Ada. Doctor Lovelace. I’m telling you now, that if Yaz’s access to the comms line is restricted then I will hack into my shuttle’s guidance system, change the return flight-path, and encrypt it. I guarantee you your team won’t have cracked it before the mission deadline.”</p><p>Yaz put a hand over her microphone and leaned toward Ada. “She’s not joking, Doctor Lovelace. That’s her serious tone.”</p><p>Ada frowned at her, and Yaz raised her eyebrows.</p><p>“-and,” the Doctor said, apparently still talking, “it’s not like I don’t already have alternative communication methods to replace the official comms line anyway-“</p><p>“Doctor,” Ada cut in, voice firm, “I’m afraid the decision has already been made. Mr Sinclair will be taking over the main communications with you and Doctor Khan for now. Complete your mission successfully and you’ll be back in no time. Then, you can spend as much time with Yasmin Khan as you’d like.”</p><p>And with that, Ada was gone.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1.) NASA works on the basis that the CAPCOM is the one person who communicates directly to the astronauts, to save confusion and so that person knows all their problems thoroughly, etc. </p><p>2.) I just did a cursory google of 'nasa fraternisation policy' which came up with an article from 2007 in which an nasa/navy employee was arrested for kidnapping and planning the murder of her romantic rival for the attentions of another nasa/navy employee. Interestingly the navy seems to have stricter rules than nasa, who has a code of conduct for astronauts on the ISS but expects everyone else to just grow up and be adults about it. I can't seem to find any online source for the ISS code of conduct.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Space RV</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>www.theverge.com/2018/10/05/11120/brad-walsh-doctor-iss-vega/</p>
<p>
  <span class="u">
    <strong>The Verge: Game show host Bradley Walsh interviews the Doctor on daily life in the ISS: </strong>
  </span>
</p>
<p>5<sup>th</sup> October 2018</p>
<p>
  <strong>Flying to the ISS in a space RV: Bradley Walsh and Dr Jo Smith plan <em>Breaking Dad</em> season 2!</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Host of <em>The Chase</em> Bradley Walsh and Sheffield-born UKSA astronaut Jo ‘The Doctor’ Smith walk into a bar…</strong>
</p>
<p>You might expect these two to meet on the set of <em>The Chase</em>, or perhaps on a Comic Relief celebrity fundraiser challenge, but it seems Bradley Walsh has been bitten by wanderlust after filming of <em>Bradley Walsh and Son: Breaking Dad</em> wrapped up earlier this year.</p>
<p>Along with Dr Noor Khan, Dr Jo Smith is set to head UKSA’s first UK-led space mission in 2020, leaving the world famous NASA to return to her hometown of Sheffield.</p>
<p>Usually these interviews take place with a direct connection to the International Space Station, but Smith has been too busy aiding the development of the UK's first launch site and mission control centre!</p>
<p>Walsh and Smith discuss everything from flaky feet to Scooby Doo to space RVs. Watch the interview below or read the transcript:</p>
<p>[Video]</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Transcript</strong>
</p>
<p>[The Verge intro theme. The logo fades and is replaced by the view of a bar and two bar stools. Bradley Walsh is behind the bar, pulling a pint. The camera switches briefly to show Dr Jo Smith entering the pub, before switching back to the fixed camera. She sits on the right hand stool.]</p>
<p>Bradley: Alright, love. What can I get you?</p>
<p>Jo: I’ll have a pint please, Brad.</p>
<p>[Bradley pours another pint and sits on the left hand stool.]</p>
<p>Bradley: You know this is much better than other guest interviews I’ve done. I think all of them should be filmed down the pub.</p>
<p>Jo: You know, that’s so right. It’s a lot cosier than those sterile white rooms with the backdrops. You know what I mean?</p>
<p>Bradley: Yeah yeah exactly, and you don’t get your local bitter in those either.</p>
<p>Jo: Right.</p>
<p>Bradley: I’ve probably ruined my chances of doing more of these interviews now I’ve said that.</p>
<p>Jo: I dunno, you might start a trend. Soon your local will be closed for filming purposes.</p>
<p>Bradley: You know what, I take back everything I said.</p>
<p>[Both laugh]</p>
<p>Bradley: Okay, so, I guess we’d better talk about space then.</p>
<p>Jo: I hope that’s what I’m here for. I don’t think I’ll be much help with anything else.</p>
<p>Bradley: Let’s start with the basics – you’ve been working at the UKSA base for what? Four years now?</p>
<p>Jo: Coming up on four.</p>
<p>Bradley: So what’s it like going from this well-established NASA base and doing these missions, and then taking an office job in Sheffield?</p>
<p>Jo: That’s a bit harsh, I think. It’s actually been great. Probably one of the best decisions of my life.</p>
<p>Bradley: Oh wow. I can’t imagine many people say that about Sheffield.</p>
<p>Jo: Now, that’s exactly what I’d expect a Londoner to say.</p>
<p>Bradley: [Laughs] Well I can’t argue with that.</p>
<p>Jo: No but really, it’s been amazing. I think it’s the most natural thing in the world, to want to come home and be a part of something big. To come home is the main instinct of every living being. And I’ve met so many incredible people, many of them from here, you know, people who probably wouldn’t have considered going into the business if this programme hadn’t gone ahead. And there are so many projects – I’ve been working on a lot of prospective missions and development of tech prototypes.</p>
<p>Bradley: But there’s got to be things you miss about NASA?</p>
<p>Jo: The biggest thing is the missions. I’d just established myself as a mission crewmember before I decided to come back to Sheffield. That was a gamble.</p>
<p>Bradley: It’s paid off though. You’re leading UKSA’s first mission.</p>
<p>Jo: Yeah so it’s a joint mission with Doctor Noor Khan. It’s a fairly standard mission, a flight up to the ISS-</p>
<p>Bradley: That’s the station.</p>
<p>Jo: The International Space Station, yeah. We’ll do some data gathering there, a bit of PR, you know, and then come back after a month or so. It’s not ground-breaking on a scientific scale, but historically, and in terms of the UK’s position in space travel, it’s massive.</p>
<p>Bradley: One small step for man-</p>
<p>Jo: One giant leap for the UK.</p>
<p>Bradley: [Laughs] Right, okay, so you’re probably asked this all the time, but what’s the worst thing about being in space?</p>
<p>Jo: People always expect me to say going to the loo when they ask me this, and yeah that’s pretty grim, but actually the worst thing is to do with your feet.</p>
<p>Bradley: Your feet?</p>
<p>Jo: Right, no-one really tells you this, but obviously you don’t do any walking in microgravity.</p>
<p>Bradley: Yeah, you’re floating.</p>
<p>Jo: Yeah, so there’s no pressure for your feet to deal with. And after a week or so you basically start shedding.</p>
<p>Bradley: Oh no.</p>
<p>Jo: All this dead skin comes off your feet, way more than you ever expected could. And you’ve got to deal with it right otherwise you’ve got flakes of skin floating all over the place.</p>
<p>Bradley: That’s horrible.</p>
<p>Jo: Potentially dangerous too, ‘cause you don’t want any bits getting lodged in the mechanics or oxygen filters or wherever. So for me that’s the worst part about any mission; waiting for the skin to come off my feet.</p>
<p>Bradley: So, what, you’re up in space, having a grand old time, and the whole time you’re floating there, staring at your feet, dreading the day they get all flaky.</p>
<p>Jo: Exactly. I’ve had nightmares about it happening. It’s probably in phobia territory now.</p>
<p>Bradley: No. no I totally understand having a phobia of feet but that’s something else.</p>
<p>Jo: [Laughs]</p>
<p>Bradley: Okay, next question.</p>
<p>Jo: Mmhm.</p>
<p>Bradley: When you were with NASA you became known for doing a lot of videos and things like that, when you were in space but also around the base.</p>
<p>Jo: [Nods] Yeah.</p>
<p>Bradley: And you did a lot of these in sign language too. Is that something you’ll be carrying on with, with UKSA?</p>
<p>Jo: So this is really interesting actually, because I know British Sign Language, and of course when I was working with NASA it’s more sort of expected to do American Sign Language.</p>
<p>Bradley: Yeah but NASA’s an international thing, so does that matter?</p>
<p>Jo: Well ASL and BSL are completely different languages. I think it’s really important to have accessibility if we’re producing these public videos and Q&amp;As, so I tried to do some specifically in BSL. And that led to this really interesting thing where a lot of the videos are rerecorded with an ASL interpreter.</p>
<p>Bradley: So they’d cover you up with another person?</p>
<p>Jo: No like, side by side. You know those old reruns of programmes they’d do on BBC with the sign language interpreters?</p>
<p>Bradley: Oh gosh, yeah, I remember those.</p>
<p>Jo: Exactly like that. I guess everyone just uses subtitles now, but I think those were great. That’s how I learnt sign language.</p>
<p>Bradley: From watching TV?</p>
<p>Jo: <em>Scooby Doo</em> reruns.</p>
<p>Bradley: [Laughs]</p>
<p>Jo: But yeah I definitely plan on continuing with that sort of thing. It’s actually become so much easier on social media now to be accessible, you can add subtitles and alternative text and everything. And I feel strongly about space being accessible to everyone.</p>
<p>Bradley: It’s interesting to think about, you know, you’re this astronaut travelling thousands of miles up in space and having these adventures, but at the same time you’re so down to Earth and clued up. I don’t know if that’s because of your experiences or despite them.</p>
<p>Jo: You’re talking about how much I’ve travelled, but you’ve been filming that show, right, what’s it called?</p>
<p>Bradley: Oh, yeah, <em>Breaking Dad</em>, yeah, I guess I’m pretty well-travelled then too you know.</p>
<p>Jo: There we go.</p>
<p>Bradley: Yeah so that’s gonna be on telly next year I think. What it is, is me and my son travelling across America in this RV and we come across some really str- well, some interesting people, and have these really amazing experiences.</p>
<p>Jo: I can’t wait to see that. Obviously I’ve spent a lot of time in Texas, at the NASA base, but I’ve always wanted to go to Arizona, so I’m interested to see what you got up to there.</p>
<p>Bradley: Oh I mean it was fantastic, you know. The part that really sticks with me is, and I don’t think this made it into the show, but there was this time in Arizona where me and Barney just got to sit together outside and watch the sunset.</p>
<p>Jo: Oh, aww!</p>
<p>Bradley: -and you know, yeah, exactly, it was just fantastic, to be in this incredible place and with my son, watching this beautiful sunset.</p>
<p>Jo: Yeah I understand, I’ll tell you this, the International Space Station sees the sun rise and set sixteen times a day.</p>
<p>Bradley: Alright alright it’s not a competition!</p>
<p>Jo: [Laughs] Right right –</p>
<p>Bradley: You’re just showing me up!</p>
<p>Jo: Watch out America, space is coming for you.</p>
<p>Bradley: Yeah, well I don’t think my RV’s gonna work up there-</p>
<p>Jo: An RV in space! Brilliant! But that’s already been done, hasn’t it? Elon Musk and his Tesla. That was only this year.</p>
<p>Bradley: Ahhh yeah but that’s just showing off.</p>
<p>Jo: Yeah an RV’s better. Much more tasteful.</p>
<p>Bradley: See, she gets it.</p>
<p>Jo: So do you think these experiences have brought you down to Earth? Or do you think that travelling makes you sort of distanced from the everyday person?</p>
<p>Bradley: Oh we’re getting deep here. I’m not sure about me getting all introspective. Anyway I’m meant to be interviewing you!</p>
<p>Jo: [Laughs] Okay, hit me with your next question.</p>
<p>Bradley: Speaking of introspective. A serious question now. I’ve got to admit that before we did <em>Breaking Dad</em> I was terrified, you know, of doing all these activities, travelling across a country I don’t know-</p>
<p>Jo: Yeah, mmhmm.</p>
<p>Bradley: - but when it got down to it, it was wonderful. And he’s gonna hate me for saying this, but it’s ‘cause Barney was there. But in space, you don’t get that.</p>
<p>Jo: Yeah. I mean we’re never alone-</p>
<p>Bradley: No, no I mean of course there’s the crew and everything, but you can be up there for months, and you can’t see your family. What’s that really like, to deal with?</p>
<p>Jo: Yeah, I mean, you’re in space, you and your crew are totally isolated. And it’s a different experience too, to being on Earth. Space is just this huge, this ginormous nothing. It’s beautiful, but sometimes the loneliness can sort of, take over, and you just feel very small and very alone.</p>
<p>Bradley: Yeah.</p>
<p>Jo: But there are so many people involved in a mission, you know. You’ve got to have a lot of trust in these people, and you build up these really intense, strong relationships. Not just the crew, but Mission Control too, and you’re always in constant communication with them.</p>
<p>Bradley: Houston, we have a problem.</p>
<p>Jo: Ha, exactly. But if all goes to plan then the conversations are a lot more mundane than that, and communication is instantaneous between Control and the ISS. And you know, we’re not in the sort of 60s 70s space race-</p>
<p>Bradley: Oh, yeah, proper <em>old school</em> that, I don’t remember it.</p>
<p>Jo: [Laughs] Right, but now you can just whizz an email off to whoever you want and you’ve got instant contact.</p>
<p>Bradley: The internet, eh, amazing invention.</p>
<p>Jo: It really is.</p>
<p>Bradley: Well, Doctor Smith, thank you for humouring me here today.</p>
<p>Jo: It’s my pleasure.</p>
<p>[They shake hands]</p>
<p>Bradley: Now I dunno about you, but I’m gonna get another pint.</p>
<p>Jo: Bring it on.</p>
<p>[The Verge outro theme]</p>
<p>
  <strong>Transcript ends.</strong>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1.) The dates used in this do match up with filming and release of Breaking Dad as far as I can figure out. I only watched one episode, don't know which season, and it was pretty fun so I recommend it.</p>
<p>2.) I straight up nicked the flaky feet thing from an article I briefly whizzed past which was an interview with a female astronaut. Sadly I haven't been able to find it again.</p>
<p>3.) The idea for this came to me when I found an interview between Brad Pitt and astronaut Nick Hague - publicity for the movie Ad Astra (which I haven't seen).</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. So You're A Rocket Scientist?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chapter title is of course from the classic <i>That Don't Impress Me Much</i> by Shania Twain<br/>'So you're a rocket scientist? That don't impress me much.'</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>13<sup>th</sup> April 2020</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“So…” Sonya said, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms, “you and Yaz are like, properly <em>together</em> then.”</p><p>Jo nodded. “Yeah. Well I mean. I hope so. I really hope so. We’re definitely a thing.”</p><p>Yaz was going to stay at Jo’s house again that night. The third night in a row. She suspected part of it was Yaz being protective, but she hoped it was mainly just because she wanted to.</p><p>That morning Yaz had left the house early, and when Jo woke up to an empty bed she’d felt strangely bereft. Ridiculously, she hadn’t known what to do with herself once she’d parked her bum on the sofa. She was all at odds.</p><p>And then Yaz had swept through the door with five bulging grocery bags, and the sight of her boots parked neatly on the welcome mat had sparked something tender in Jo’s heart.</p><p>“You are staying tonight, aren’t you?” she’d asked, and Yaz had plonked herself down on the sofa beside her and said “’Course. But I’ve got to get some stuff from home first. I can’t wear the same knickers for another day.”</p><p>And then Jo had laughed, and Yaz had flushed, and that was how they’d ended up at Yaz’s flat that evening.</p><p>Sonya levelled Jo with an unimpressed look.</p><p>“You’re eight years older than Yaz,” she said.</p><p>It wasn’t a question. Her tone didn’t even seem to invite an answer.</p><p>“Yeah, I guess I am,” Jo replied.</p><p>“Sonya…” Hakim warned.</p><p>“Alright, dad,” Sonya snapped.</p><p>Tetchy.</p><p>“I’m sure Yaz won’t be long, and then I’ll be out of your hair,” Jo said.</p><p>“You’re welcome here anytime, Jo,” Hakim said, shaking his head at Sonya behind her back.</p><p>Jo shot a glance at the corridor leading to Yaz’s room. She’d been happy to stay with her family while Yaz changed and packed her things, but Sonya’s frosty welcome was making her reconsider. She realised that the previous night Sonya had barely spoken to her at all.</p><p>Jo put the photo she’d been examining back on the picture ledge. It was a photo of Hakim and Najia when they were much younger, cuddled together on a porch seat.</p><p>Hakim gestured to the photo with a tea towel. “Took that on holiday a few years after we got married. Funny, eh?” He came over to stand beside her. “You don’t know how things are gonna pan out in the beginning.”</p><p>Jo smiled. “No, you don’t. But I always think there’s power in conviction.”</p><p>Hakim glanced at her. His eyes dropped to the fading bruises on her neck, and then jumped back up to meet her unwavering expression.</p><p>He grinned. “I don’t know if that’s very wise, or very naïve.”</p><p>“Funny, you’re not the first person to say that to me.”</p><p>Hakim laughed as he turned back to the drying up.</p><p>In her head, Jo executed an impeccable fist pump of victory. That was Yaz’s dad in the bag.</p><p>She whirled around to face Sonya again. “Is that a thing? Like, my thing? Saying clever things that could be really silly. Or silly things that just sound clever?”</p><p>“Half the time I don’t know what you’re on about,” Sonya said.</p><p>“Oh that’s alright then, neither do I,” Jo said, sliding into the chair opposite Yaz’s sister. “There’s usually something interesting in all the babble.”</p><p>Sonya rolled her eyes. “Of course you’re weird. Of course the first person Yaz is interested in is off her rocker.”</p><p>Jo folded her hands on the table and met Sonya’s gaze. “Go on, then.”</p><p>“Go on, what?” Sonya asked.</p><p>Jo leaned forward. “You’re protective over your sister-“</p><p>“No, I’m not-“</p><p>“-and I respect that,” Jo continued. From the corner of her eye she saw Hakim watching them. “If I had a sister, I’d watch out for her too. And I promise you, Sonya, I only have good intentions.”</p><p>Sonya snorted, “I honestly couldn’t care less.”</p><p>Jo frowned. Sonya could be challenging. “Then why are you concerned that I’m older than Yaz?”</p><p>Sonya’s mouth twisted. She leaned forward, slowly, deliberately, resting her elbows on the table and her chin on the backs of her interlocked fingers. “You’re like, Yaz’s superior.”</p><p>Jo’s mouth flattened as if in apology. “Nope. Sorry.”</p><p>“But you went into space and Yaz didn’t,” Sonya said.</p><p>“You know Yaz was the CAPCOM for Vega I? They only give that position to people who are capable of, or have already travelled in space. Your sister held mine and my partner’s life in her hands more than once.”</p><p>“Wait. I thought you’re not meant to tell us anything that’s happened?”</p><p>“I’m not. But I <em>can</em> tell you there’s no hierarchy between Yaz and me. And if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be here talking to you.”</p><p>“Because you’d be dead?” Sonya asked, all mockery suddenly gone from her face.</p><p>Jo thought back to the beautiful expanse of space, and kept her face impassive.</p><p>Sonya sat back with a huff. “If you feel like, I dunno, you owe her or something-“</p><p>“No! I promise you, it’s not that. I really, <em>genuinely</em> like your sister. And I’m pretty sure she likes me too.”</p><p>“Ugh, whatever,” Sonya grimaced. “Gross.”</p><p>Jo felt a smile steal across her own face. “Come on, I know you have questions. Ask me anything.”</p><p>Hakim had given up all pretence of cleaning now, and was leaning back against the counter, watching the interrogation with his arms crossed and the tea towel flung over his shoulder.</p><p>Sonya smirked and leaned forward once more. Jo couldn’t help enjoying the push and pull of it, this game of power. There was no real malice behind it. And she liked Sonya.</p><p>“Okay then,” Sonya said, exaggeratedly rolling her eyes up to the ceiling, “You said you don’t have a sister. Do you have any brothers?”</p><p>“Nope. Just me. Hi.”</p><p>Sonya rolled her eyes again.</p><p>“Do your eyes ever get dizzy from rolling around so much?” Jo asked. Hakim abruptly fell into a coughing fit. Sonya ignored her.</p><p>“Alright, what do your parents do?”</p><p>“My mum was a scientist. Biology. Genetics.”</p><p>“And your dad?”</p><p>“No dad.”</p><p>A crease appeared between Sonya’s eyebrows.</p><p>“Alright, what exactly in biology?”</p><p>“Oh. She was in experimental cloning. Do you remember Dolly the Sheep? My mum thought that in the future humans would be cloning themselves all the time.”</p><p>Sonya recoiled. “No wonder you’re so weird.”</p><p>“Oi. I was against it, ta very much. One of me is more than enough. I’d get right on my nerves.”</p><p>“Actually, I’d quite like a clone,” Sonya said, tapping her nail against her jaw.</p><p>“Give me strength…” Hakim muttered.</p><p>“Oh, shut up, dad,” Sonya said. “If she’s not in science anymore then, what’s she doing now?”</p><p>“Is this a background check?” Jo asked.</p><p>“You said I could ask you anything…” Sonya trailed off expectantly.</p><p>“She’s not around anymore.”</p><p>“What does that mean?”</p><p>“Sonya, drop it,” Hakim said, insistently this time.</p><p>Jo shook her head. “No. It’s alright. She’s been dead a long time.”</p><p>Jo dropped her gaze to the table. She hadn’t meant for the conversation to go like this. She’d spent so many years building up her own life that questions about her family had been utterly unexpected.</p><p>“I’m sorry, Jo,” Hakim said, but his voice wasn’t pitying.</p><p>“As I said, it was a long time ago,” Jo replied. She looked up again and met both of their eyes. Whatever had been on Sonya’s face before, it wasn’t there now.</p><p>“Alright, so your wiki page says you were born in Sheffield.”</p><p>“Wait. I have a Wikipedia page? Do people actually read those? That’s a thing people do?”</p><p>“Uh…duh!” Sonya said.</p><p>“I’m gonna check that out later. Oh, maybe I’ll google myself. Haven’t done that in a long time. Not since that nightmare with Piers Morgan.”</p><p>Jo was severely regretting starting this conversation now. “You know, Sonya, Hakim, I think I might actually go out for some air.”</p><p>“Oi. Wait a minute,” Sonya said, as Jo gathered her coat around her and hastily got up from her seat, “you haven’t answered my question!”</p><p>“You didn’t ask one,” she shot back.</p><p>“You’re not from Fulwood or something are you? I bet you are. I knew this stuck up girl from Fulwood at school.”</p><p>Jo hovered uncomfortably, gripping the back of the seat with white knuckles. “Not Fulwood, no.”</p><p>Sonya held her hands up in exasperation. “Well where then?”</p><p>Jo shut her eyes and grappled for control. She couldn’t breathe. Sense memories flashed through her mind like startled bats; cold metal against her face, the whoosh of flame, black phlegm on yellow grass. She gasped for breath.</p><p>“It’s this tiny village in the Peaks. You won’t know it. Sorry, Hakim, can you let Yaz know I’m outside? Thanks.”</p><p>She fled out the door.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, Jo, I’m ready to-“</p><p>Yaz broke off. She looked around the room. Her eyes alighted on her sister.</p><p>“Where’s Jo?”</p><p>Sonya bristled. “What are you looking at me for? I don’t know where she went!”</p><p>“Dad!”</p><p>Hakim held his hands up. He was sitting in the chair next to Sonya and their heads had been pressed close together when Yaz entered the living room. His mouth twitched guiltily.</p><p>“She said she was going out for some air.”</p><p>Yaz rounded on her sister, frustration and protectiveness surging through her. “What did you say to her?”</p><p>“Don’t have a go at me! I only asked where she was from!”</p><p>Yaz stuttered in confusion, shook her head.</p><p>“I can’t believe this!” she yelled at them, grabbing her overnight bag and slamming the door behind her.</p><p>By the time she reached the ground floor her fury had transformed to fear. Where had Jo gone? And what could her sister have said to make her run off?</p><p>Yaz fled the lift into the grounds of Park Hill, heart racing, eyes searching frantically around her.</p><p>A flash of blue.</p><p>Jo was perched on a low bench near the side of the road, dwarfed by the estate.</p><p>She looked so small.</p><p>She was leaning forward, arms draped over her knees, facing the ground. The bench was so low that her knees almost hit her chest, and a thick curtain of blonde hair concealed her from the world outside.</p><p>Yaz approached cautiously, slowly, and when she reached the bench she sank down next to her and dropped her bag to the ground beside her. She didn’t touch her – didn’t know if it would be welcome.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” she said, “Sonya can be really out of order sometimes.”</p><p>Jo tilted her head back and tucked her hair behind her ear so Yaz could see her.</p><p>“Nah. She wasn’t out of order. She’s just protective over you.”</p><p>“She’s a right pain in the arse is what she is,” Yaz countered.</p><p>Jo shook her head. “No really. She was just looking out for you. I like her.”</p><p>“You might be the only person in our family who does.”</p><p>Jo looked up at her then, a question on her face, and Yaz blushed, nervously. “You’re a member now, if that’s alright.”</p><p>“Hmm…an official Khan. I quite like the sound of that,” Jo said. Yaz grinned and inched her hand towards her, feeling a warmth blooming as Jo allowed her hand to be taken.</p><p>Yaz swallowed, tucked her leg under herself on the bench and faced Jo full on.</p><p>“Look…Jo. I should explain. Sonya…we don’t get on most of the time but…there was this thing that happened years ago…”</p><p>Jo searched her face, and lay her free hand on top of Yaz’s. “Go on.”</p><p>Yaz struggled to find the words. “I- I was in a bad place. I had been for a while, but I didn’t know how to fix it. And I thought the only way to stop it was to get away…so I ran off. Sonya…I think she knew for a while that something wasn’t right, and she called the police. Since then… I don’t know. She pretends she doesn’t care.”</p><p>Jo squeezed her hand. “I think she cares a lot and just doesn’t know how to show it.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Yaz said, “maybe you’re right. I don’t know what I would have done that day, but I’m glad I didn’t get to find out. But <em>I am</em> sorry she made you uncomfortable. I wouldn’t have left you with her if I’d known.”</p><p>Jo shook her head. “You’ve got nothing to apologise for, Yaz. And nor does your sister.” She squeezed Yaz’s hand again. “Come on, I want to show you something.”</p><p>Yaz frowned. “Now?”</p><p>“Yeah. It’s not far away, but it’s important.”</p><p>“Alright,” Yaz said, and rose to her feet. “I’ll drive.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1.) Can you believe I spent like half an hour on street view around Park Hill trying to find the shot from the show just to fact-check if there was a bench. Sometimes I need to calm down lol. And no I didn't figure it out.</p><p>2.) I literally just read forums discussing the poshest places in Sheffield to come up with Fulwood, so I apologise to any Sheffield peeps if it's an inaccurate portrayal of Fulwood's reputation. </p><p>3.) Listen to the song - it's a bop!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Until I Met You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Chapter title from the song <i>Alone</i> by Heart, which is coincidentally the first song in my Thasmin playlist &lt;.&lt;</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>16<sup>th</sup> March 2020</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>[No Subject]</p><p><strong>Doctor Jo Smith</strong> &lt;thedoctor_smith@uksa.gov.uk&gt;</p><p>Mon 16/03/2020 16:13</p><p>“Look at us, naughty kids, caught talking about movies over comms! Looks like we’ll be using email for now. If you give me your number I can try and get a call in during a break?”</p><p>-</p><p>Doctor Jo Smith, PhD</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>[RE: No Subject]</p><p><strong>Yasmin Khan</strong> &lt;yasmin_khan@uksa.gov.uk&gt;</p><p>Mon 16/03/2020 16:37</p><p>“Probably not the best idea to call. I’m under review after the tether fiasco.”</p><p>-</p><p>Yasmin Khan</p><p>UKSA CAPCOM</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>[RE: No Subject]</p><p><strong>Doctor Jo Smith</strong> &lt;thedoctor_smith@uksa.gov.uk&gt;</p><p>Mon 16/03/2020 16:40</p><p>“Under review for what!??? I don’t understand??”</p><p>-</p><p>Doctor Jo Smith, PhD</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>[RE: No Subject]</p><p><strong>Yasmin Khan</strong> &lt;yasmin_khan@uksa.gov.uk&gt;</p><p>Mon 16/03/2020 17:05</p><p>“The engine repair site. I shouldn’t have left it unstable like that – it was a stupid decision. I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s really why I’ve been reassigned.”</p><p>-</p><p>Yasmin Khan</p><p>UKSA CAPCOM</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>[RE: No Subject]</p><p><strong>Doctor Jo Smith</strong> &lt;thedoctor_smith@uksa.gov.uk&gt;</p><p>Mon 16/03/2020 17:08</p><p>“Sorry, you’re saying you’ve been reassigned for saving an astronaut’s life? My life?”</p><p>-</p><p>Doctor Jo Smith, PhD</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>[RE: No Subject]</p><p><strong>Yasmin Khan</strong> &lt;yasmin_khan@uksa.gov.uk&gt;</p><p>Mon 16/03/2020 17:15</p><p>“And endangering the lives of every other astronaut on board, including Noor’s when she had to go back out.”</p><p>-</p><p>Yasmin Khan</p><p>UKSA CAPCOM</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>[RE: No Subject]</p><p><strong>Doctor Jo Smith</strong> &lt;thedoctor_smith@uksa.gov.uk&gt;</p><p>Mon 16/03/2020 17:19</p><p>“Come on, Yaz. This isn’t you talking – you’re smarter than this. That accident was unprecedented on any mission whether uksa nasa roscosmos or anything, and you were incredible. Let’s not pretend I didn’t hear your argument with Ramesh!”</p><p>-</p><p>Doctor Jo Smith, PhD</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>[RE: No Subject]</p><p><strong>Yasmin Khan</strong> &lt;yasmin_khan@uksa.gov.uk&gt;</p><p>Mon 16/03/2020 17:38</p><p>“He was right though. I should have got Noor to finish with the equipment first.”</p><p>-</p><p>Yasmin Khan</p><p>UKSA CAPCOM</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>[RE: No Subject]</p><p><strong>Doctor Jo Smith</strong> &lt;thedoctor_smith@uksa.gov.uk&gt;</p><p>Mon 16/03/2020 17:47</p><p>“And by that point I would have been even further away from the station. I had enough oxygen yeah, but there’s no way I could have navigated that distance with a defective spacer. Your decision saved my life, Yaz. And im more grateful to you than you could imagine for it because I actually quite like surviving.</p><p>Maybe this is just me being biased, but I think you’re a hero. Don’t let anyone – and especially not uksa – tell you that you did anything wrong on that eva.”</p><p>-</p><p>Doctor Jo Smith, PhD</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>[FW: RE: No Subject]</p><p><strong>Doctor Jo Smith</strong> &lt;thedoctor_smith@uksa.gov.uk&gt;</p><p>Mon 16/03/2020 17:58</p><p>“Unless getting rid of me was the point, of course ;)”</p><p>-</p><p>Doctor Jo Smith, PhD</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>[RE: No Subject]</p><p><strong>Yasmin Khan</strong> &lt;yasmin_khan@uksa.gov.uk&gt;</p><p>Mon 16/03/2020 18:04</p><p>“Don’t be silly.</p><p>And, thank you.”</p><p>-</p><p>Yasmin Khan</p><p>UKSA CAPCOM</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>17<sup>th</sup> March 2020</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>[FW: Vega I Guidance System]</p><p><strong>Doctor Jo Smith</strong> &lt;thedoctor_smith@uksa.gov.uk&gt;</p><p>Tues 17/03/2020 08:03</p><p>“Take a look at this, Yaz… they can’t say I didn’t warn them…’</p><p>-</p><p>Doctor Jo Smith, PhD</p><p>-</p><p>
  <strong>Original message:</strong>
</p><p>[Subject: Vega I Guidance System]</p><p><strong>Doctor Ada Lovelace</strong> &lt;dr_adalovelace@uksa.gov.uk&gt;</p><p>Tues 17/03/2020 07:32</p><p>To: &lt;thedoctor_smith@uksa.gov.uk&gt; &lt;dr_nkhan@uksa.gov.uk&gt;</p><p>“Dear Dr Smith,</p><p>The Vega I mission team requests that you decrypt the re-programmed flight-path on the Vega I shuttle so that either you or our Flight Dynamics Officer on the ground can reinstate the original path and ensure a successful re-entry at the end of your mission.</p><p>Kind Regards,</p><p>-</p><p>Dr Ada Lovelace</p><p>UKSA Flight Director</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>[Subject: Yasmin Khan]</p><p><strong>Doctor Jo Smith</strong> &lt;thedoctor_smith@uksa.gov.uk&gt;</p><p>Tues 17/03/2020 09:43</p><p>To: &lt;dr_adalovelace@uksa.gov.uk&gt;</p><p>Cc: &lt;dr_rsunder@uksa.gov.uk&gt;, &lt;yasmin_khan@uksa.gov.uk&gt;, &lt;ryan_sinclair@uksa.gov.uk&gt;, &lt;dr_nkhan@uksa.gov.uk&gt;</p><p>“Dear Dr Lovelace,</p><p>Ostensibly, Vega I’s former CAPCOM Yasmin Khan has been removed from her position as a result of the friendship she and I have developed over the course of this mission. I feel the need to clarify that this friendship is of no detriment to our mission.</p><p>However, this excuse for her demotion is clearly a load of rubbish. It has come to my attention that Yasmin is actually under review for her actions during mine and Dr Noor Khan’s scheduled EVA on 8 March 2020 for repairs to the Vega I shuttle, in which both my tether and SPACER failed, leaving me stranded and moving quickly away from the station. This was an entirely unprecedented situation in the history of all space flight, and if it wasn’t for the snap decision-making and quick thinking of Yasmin Khan, in coordination with Dr Khan and Mr Sinclair, there’s no doubt that I would have had a long and lonely death.</p><p>Yasmin Khan’s decision, in opposition to orders given her by Dr Sunder, saved my life. While an investigation into the faulty engineering on this mission is undoubtedly needed, I see no reason at all why Yasmin Khan is under investigation, or why she has lost her position as the Vega I CAPCOM.</p><p>With all due respect,”</p><p>-</p><p>Doctor Jo Smith, PhD</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Yasmin Khan, former Capsule Communicator on UKSA’s Vega I mission to the International Space Station and current Engineering Research Assistant, was absolutely, blindingly, and sickeningly furious.</p><p>"I was trying to help you, Yaz!" the Doctor protested.</p><p>"By getting involved and emailing my boss? By telling Ryan? You've completely undermined me!"</p><p>"Yaz, you know this investigation is unfair. It could damage your career-"</p><p>"I know! And that's why I'm dealing with it in my own way! I stand by my decision, and if I got the chance I would choose to save your life again and again no matter what. But I've worked so hard for my career and you can’t just swoop in and- and <em>jeopardise</em> it!”</p><p>"I’m trying to get your position back for you, Yaz,” the Doctor said. Her voice turned horribly empathetic. “It’s not a weakness to ask for help.”</p><p>"Don’t patronise me," Yaz shot back, hackles positively bristling. "Have you even thought about how this looks?"</p><p>"Yeah, it looks like me sticking up for you."</p><p>"It looks like nepotism!" Yaz countered. "I don’t want to get anywhere in my career just because I've got a pass from you or anyone else. This is my mistake and my consequences!"</p><p>The Doctor was silent on the other end of the line.</p><p>"Why couldn’t you have just waited?” Yaz asked, sighing. “Ada would have come to you and Noor eventually and got your side of the story."</p><p>She dropped her head in her hands. The phone pressed to her ear was hot and painful.</p><p>"You're right.”</p><p>The wind dropped from Yaz's sails.</p><p>"What?" she snapped.</p><p>"I'm sorry. You're right. I wanted you back on the comms, where I could talk to you. I was being selfish. And I didn’t think about what your career means to you."</p><p>"There are some problems you can’t fix for me, Doctor. You’re not my mentor," Yaz said, much quieter now. Guilt stirred in her stomach. "Not if I want to be taken seriously. It can’t work like that."</p><p>"I know. I'm sorry. I really thought I was helping, Yaz."</p><p>"Okay. Okay. I know. And I'm sorry for bringing you into this."</p><p>"I'm glad you told me. This isn’t something you should deal with alone. Do you want me to-"</p><p>"No. Doctor, no. I do appreciate you wanting to help. But just leave it.”</p><p>"Right."</p><p>"I've got to go," Yaz said. She suddenly wanted nothing more in the world than to get off the phone. "I’ve got work."</p><p>"Yeah, okay. We'll talk soon, yeah?"</p><p>"Yeah, we'll talk soon."</p><p>Yaz hung up the phone, crushed.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>12:35</p><p>WhatsApp: [1 unread message]</p><p>
  <strong>Sonya</strong>
</p><p>Dad says you’ve been home moping all day what’s happened???</p><p> </p><p>20:04</p><p>WhatsApp: [1 unread message]</p><p>
  <strong>Ryan</strong>
</p><p>what's this about you being under review? how longs this been going on?</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Yaz was sitting alone on her bed when the knock at the door came. She heard loud voices, the sound of trainers kicked to the floor, footsteps down the hall.</p><p>There was a cursory knock at the door, and Ryan pushed it open.</p><p>"Wasn’t sure you’d be here," he said.</p><p>He shut the door softly behind him and hovered awkwardly.</p><p>"Where else would I be?" Yaz replied.</p><p>"Yeah, fair enough."</p><p>Ryan sat down on the edge of her bed. "You should have told me about the review."</p><p>"I know," Yaz said, staring at her legs. "I was embarrassed."</p><p>"Why should you be embarrassed? You saved the Doctor’s life. Yeah, you had to break some protocol but so what? Because of you the Doctor isn’t lying dead in orbit forever.”</p><p>Yaz felt sick. "Don't say that. Don’t talk like that."</p><p>"It's true though," Ryan said. He shifted to face her properly. "Look Yaz, there's no way they're gonna punish you for this, but you don't need to deal with this alone. Hey," he said, leaning in, "I've got your back, alright?"</p><p>"Yeah," Yaz said, "alright. Thanks, Ryan."</p><p>"You're welcome. Now get up and get dressed, we're going out."</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Yaz wasn’t usually one for clubbing, so she was glad when Ryan told her to just throw on a pair of jeans and a jacket. She was really not in the mood to get fancy that evening.</p><p>When they got off the bus, Ryan pulled her past a heaving pub and through the doorway of a dessert bar.</p><p>“Ryan,” Yaz said.</p><p>“Yeah? You’ve already had tea, haven’t you?”</p><p>“Sure, but I’ll have to hit the gym extra hard after this.”</p><p>He snorted, mocking. “Nah. You’re too uptight, Yaz. A pancake won’t make a difference. My treat.”</p><p>“Oh no, Ryan, seriously-“</p><p>“No arguing,” Ryan said firmly, moving between her and the bar, “now, pick what you want, yeah?”</p><p>Yaz let him win that round, but something in her prickled uneasily at the concession. She sat at a booth in the corner of the room while Ryan paid, and idly picked at the vinyl upholstered seat where the stuffing peeked out. The whole room was done in bright jewel-toned furniture and clean white floor-tiles. Their booth was a bold amethyst.</p><p>Ryan slid into the seat facing her.</p><p>“Look Ryan. I am sorry I didn’t tell you about the review.”</p><p>“It’s okay,” he said automatically.</p><p>“No, it’s not,” Yaz said. “You’re my best friend, and I should have told you about it.”</p><p>“You’re gonna make me blush in a minute,” he joked. And then he turned serious again. “Look, Yaz, I care about you, alright? You’re my best friend too, and I wanna know about stuff like this.”</p><p>Their server came over with their plates. Ryan took a bite of his Nutella and strawberry waffle, and pointed his fork at Yaz.</p><p>“So, what’s the game plan?” he asked through a mouthful.</p><p>Yaz made a face at him. She speared a lump of cookie dough. “I honestly don’t know. I’m not even really working on this mission anymore, Ryan. I’m on tech research.”</p><p>“That’s not too bad. You can make a real difference there,” Ryan said.</p><p>“Not too bad for you maybe, you’re an engineer. I want to be leading something,” Yaz complained.</p><p>“Then you’ve gotta prove yourself and get back in the game,” he said.</p><p>“I don’t know how I’m meant to do that,” Yaz sighed. She would need a miracle to get back on the team.</p><p>“You’ll figure something out. And me and the Doctor’ll keep you in the loop.”</p><p>Yaz shook her head. “I don’t think so. We had an argument earlier about her email. I told her she can’t play with my career like that. I dunno…”</p><p>Ryan watched her, eyes thoughtful.</p><p>“You think she won’t be interested in you anymore?” he asked.</p><p>Yaz swallowed her mouthful of crepe. “It’s – I’m not sure. I feel awful. I made her feel awful.”</p><p>“The Doctor isn’t gonna hate you because of one argument, Yaz. So she overstepped. And you’ve told her not to do it again. She’s a smart woman, and so are you. Just talk to her and it’ll be fine.”</p><p>“I ‘spose,” Yaz said, noncommittally. She still felt horribly guilty. “Anyway, when did you start giving out relationship advice?”</p><p>“Uh, since my best friend finally fancies someone for the first time in twenty-eight years and almost ballsed it up?”</p><p>“Oi! Shut up,” Yaz said, swatting at him with her napkin. Ryan feinted to the side and mimed a broken arm, and Yaz couldn’t help laughing.</p><p>Later that night, Ryan insisted on walking her back to her flat, and when he hugged her at the door Yaz thought that maybe, just maybe, everything would turn out okay.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1.) As far as I can figure out astronauts can make calls on board the ISS from a particular tablet, but they can't receive any.</p><p>2.) Roscosmos = Roscosmos State Corporation, previously the Russian Aviation and Space Agency, previously the Soviet space program before 1991. </p><p>3.) Sorry</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Playing With Fire</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>18<sup>th</sup> March 2020</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>[Subject: I’m sorry]</p><p><strong>Yasmin Khan</strong> &lt;yasmin_khan@uksa.gov.uk&gt;</p><p>Wed 18/03/2020 07:11</p><p>To: &lt;thedoctor_smith@uksa.gov.uk&gt;</p><p>“Hey, I’m sorry about yesterday. I was hard on you and you didn’t deserve it. I really do appreciate that you standing up for me.</p><p>Can we call this evening?</p><p>Yaz”</p><p>-</p><p>Yasmin Khan</p><p>Engineer, UKSA</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>[Subject: the loop]</p><p><strong>Ryan Sinclair</strong> &lt;ryan_sinclair@uksa.gov.uk&gt;</p><p>Wed 18/03/2020 14:44</p><p>“You’ll love this one. Apparently the doc’s been in the labs all day messing with the med equipment. Noor says she’s actually improved the efficiency of the equipment but she’s frustrated because she wants to melt stuff down -.-</p><p>They’ve both been roped in to do some payload installs next week, and the doctor’s doing a bsl q&amp;a tomorrow. Routine stuff. No scheduled evas this week.</p><p>Hows it going down in engineering?”</p><p>-</p><p>Ryan Sinclair</p><p>UKSA CAPCOM</p><p> </p><p>[RE: the loop]</p><p><strong>Yasmin Khan</strong> &lt;yasmin_khan@uksa.gov.uk&gt;</p><p>Wed 18/03/2020 18:34</p><p>“Surprisingly busy. There are too many projects to keep track of down here and I’m missing the control room. You’d love working on the tests for the new ISS arm – there’s a model in here to practise moving around.</p><p>Maybe the Doctor should have waited until she was back in Sheffield before playing with fire.”</p><p>-</p><p>Yasmin Khan</p><p>Engineer, UKSA</p><p> </p><p>[RE: the loop]</p><p><strong>Ryan Sinclair</strong> &lt;ryan_sinclair.gov.uk&gt;</p><p>Wed 18/03/2020 19:55</p><p>“Yaz, that’s well cool. I’m gonna come down tomorrow and have a go.”</p><p>-</p><p>Ryan Sinclair</p><p>UKSA CAPCOM</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Hey, Yaz!”</p><p>“Hi, Doctor.”</p><p>Yaz’s palm was sweating against the hard plastic case of her phone.</p><p>“It’s so nice to hear your voice. I honestly didn’t know if I was gonna hear it again so soon.”</p><p>“Doctor…I wasn’t gonna cut you off-“</p><p>“No! No, I meant…because you’re not CAPCOM anymore. No opportunity.”</p><p>Yaz exhaled, and felt the tension leave her stiff limbs. She slumped down onto her bed. Her legs hurt from pacing up and down her room.</p><p>“Okay. Good. As long as you didn’t think I was just gonna cut you off or something. Because I wouldn’t, you know. Do that.”</p><p>Ugh. She could kick herself. How articulate.</p><p>“I mean,” she continued, “I guess we shouldn’t be phoning each other now but…”</p><p>“If you’d rather go…?” the Doctor said, carefully. “I won’t mind, or hold it against you.”</p><p>“No,” Yaz said. “No,” she repeated. Stronger. Firmer. “I want to talk to you.”</p><p>“Alright. Good. Good.”</p><p>A pause.</p><p>“Tell me about the med bay. Ryan says you want to melt things down?”</p><p>“I suppose you’re going to warn me off it?” the Doctor said.</p><p>Yaz huffed.</p><p>“That’s not my job anymore. Do whatever you want. But I’m pretty sure it would be a lot easier to alter the reserve equipment we’ve got down here.”</p><p>“You know,” the Doctor said, sinking into a ramble, “I was trying to get NASA to invest in a controlled combustion environment on the ISS for ages while I worked with them. I told them it would make things easier, to alter and test things on site, but they were so bogged down by ‘protocol’ and ‘safety’ and-“</p><p>Yaz fell back on her bed, giggling up at the ceiling.</p><p>“-and the dangers of blowing things up in the middle of a floating lab in space. No sense of adventure or danger, honestly.”</p><p>“It’s called a controlled environment for a reason,” Yaz poked.</p><p>“Exactly! What’s the point of having a laboratory if you can’t test things in it? But anyway. I’ve got a plan to melt down the equipment into smaller portable pieces like my sonic. It’s a nightmare up here at the moment, having to tie all these bulky things in place just so we can have a normal check-up. And the maintenance work on them is a nightmare. We’ve got advanced tablets that can store terabytes of data and yet the med bay is filled with huge computers just to process an ultrasound.”</p><p>“Have you got your sonic working with it yet?”</p><p>“Yeah I sorted that days ago. You can hook it up and do a full body scan in half the time. Only problem is I want it to store and upload data to the main system wirelessly.</p><p>“That way you could put sonics in first aid kits all across the station,” Yaz said.</p><p>“Right! A quick way to check for injuries on the go.”</p><p>“Like if someone was silly enough not to tie themselves down before using a keyboard and launched themselves into a wall?”</p><p>“Very funny, Yaz. But yeah. I could have grabbed a sonic and scanned my head to make sure I hadn’t irreversibly damaged it.”</p><p>Yaz curled up on her side.</p><p>“Doctor,” she said, lightly, “did I ever mention that the sonic looks like vibrator?”</p><p>A pause.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>Yaz’s lips twitched.</p><p>“It looks like a vibrator,” she repeated, evenly.</p><p>“Bloody…oh for…<em>that’s</em> what Angstrom was laughing about!”</p><p>Yaz buried her face in the pillow, trying to stifle her giggles.</p><p>“Yaz! Are you laughing? I can’t believe this-“</p><p>“I can’t believe you never realised!” said Yaz. “I thought you’d done it on purpose or something.”</p><p>“No! I did not d-! I-“</p><p>“Because that would be a very different kind of medical assessment-“</p><p>“Yaz!” the Doctor spluttered.</p><p>Yaz’s laughs turned to wheezes.</p><p>“Is there some medical kink here that I should know about?” the Doctor teased, bewildered, perhaps slightly hysterical.</p><p>Yaz couldn’t even speak for a moment. “No, no. Oh my God.”</p><p>The Doctor grew quiet while Yaz snickered.</p><p>“Because…I mean…” she drawled, “that sort of function would need some thorough testing…”</p><p>“Oh my God shut up!” Yaz yelled. She wiped the moisture from her eyes.</p><p>There was loud shuffling on the other end of the line, and faint hitching laughs. Yaz felt the blood in her cheeks and she launched herself off her bed, pacing with sudden adrenaline.</p><p>“You’re the worst,” she told the Doctor.</p><p>“I’m the worst? I’m-? I’m not the one talking about medical sex toys-“</p><p>“I’m not the one <em>making</em> medical sex toys,” Yaz shot back.</p><p>“Oh God,” the Doctor groaned, “I’ll never look Angstrom in the eyes again.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>19<sup>th</sup> March 2020 </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Ryan was having the time of his life.</p><p>The Canadarm mechanism had been on the ISS for nineteen years now, and one of UKSA’s main projects was to improve on the design and produce a new arm with more capabilities for exterior tasks.</p><p>Yaz was sitting in the test room next to Ryan while he pushed and pulled levers, tried out an old school Nintendo 64 style control, and set his hands into motion-sensor gloves that came up to his elbows.</p><p>The gloves required him to lean up against the console in the fake control room. Through the window in front of them they could see the jerky movements of the mechanical prototype when he moved his right arm.</p><p>Ryan pinched the index finger and thumb on his left hand, and the ‘fingers’ of the arm clamped down on a small mock shuttle-wing. He raised his right arm, and the shuttle fell from the robot’s grip like a teddy from an arcade claw.</p><p>An almighty clang echoed through the room.</p><p>“Aw, damn,” Ryan said, shifting in his seat and launching forward for the shuttle again.</p><p>“It’s not gonna work,” Yaz said, craning her neck to see the robot slam into the shuttle, crushing the tip of the wing, “it’s an early prototype. Doesn’t have the dexterity or sensitive enough dynamometer.”</p><p>“Yeah, it keeps crushing the wing or dropping it,” Ryan said, and slid his arms from the gloves. “This is more like it,” he said, sliding his rolling chair across to the video-game like console.  Its corresponding arm was stagnant next to its own mock up wing.</p><p>Ryan gripped the joystick and moved the arm into position, pushing up to extend the claw, and using a set of buttons and sliders on the left hand side to adjust grip strength.</p><p>He dropped the wing.</p><p>“I’m gonna beat this,” he assured Yaz.</p><p>“I bet,” Yaz replied, smirking.</p><p>“Look,” he said, and this time he picked up the wing and got it halfway across to the storage bin before it slid to the floor with a clang.</p><p>“Aww yeah!” he said, jumping from his seat. “Wicked.”</p><p>“Good one!” Yaz said, “You almost got it that time!”</p><p>An alarm sounded, and a few guys in his-vis jackets shuffled the dropped wing back into position.</p><p>“This set-up’s really simple,” Ryan said, “I wouldn’t use it for the ISS. It’s nowhere near as good as the Canadarm.”</p><p>“You couldn’t use it for delicate tasks,” Yaz agreed.</p><p>“The gloves are defo the best bet once they work properly. It’s like holding a sword or something. An extension of your arm.”</p><p>He scooped up the wing again, but this time it shot out of the claw when he swung it round.</p><p>“Good job. That’s jettisoned into orbit,” Yaz teased.</p><p>“Yeah, good thing we’re not in space right now,” Ryan agreed.</p><p>Another alarm sounded, signalling the end of Ryan’s test session. They reset the equipment and shut down the test room, making sure the door was locked securely behind them.</p><p>“So this is what you’re working on then?” Ryan asked. “And chance of a swap?”</p><p>“I’d be lucky,” Yaz replied. “The lads let me have a go when I first got reassigned, but I’m on safety research from tomorrow.”</p><p>“Right, definitely not swapping then,” Ryan said.</p><p>“Don’t blame you. I’m in this Sunday too,” she griped. “Ramesh wants to get a head start on the tether adjustments before Monday.”</p><p>“You really got the short end of the stick with this demotion.”</p><p>“Don’t remind me,” she replied, pointlessly. It’s not like she’d stopped beating herself up about it over the past week.</p><p>“At least you can figure out what went wrong with the Doctor’s equipment, yeah? Have you spoken to her yet?”</p><p>Yaz thought back to their conversation the day before and grinned.</p><p>“Oh yeah. We’re good.”</p><p>“You’re good?” Ryan probed, eyebrow raising.</p><p>Yaz’s cheeks burned.</p><p>“Yeah, we’re good.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>20<sup>th</sup> March 2020</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>[No Subject]</p><p><strong>Doctor Jo Smith</strong> &lt;thedoctor_smith@uksa.gov.uk&gt;</p><p>Sat 20/03/2020 08:22</p><p>“Angstrom is a right pain in my arse now. She’s asked me to make a sonic for her wife… says it will remind her of Angstrom when she’s on missions…”</p><p>-</p><p>Dr Jo Smith, PhD</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>[No Subject]</p><p><strong>Doctor Jo Smith</strong> &lt;thedoctor_smith@uksa.gov.uk&gt;</p><p>Sat 20/03/2020 10:31</p><p>“Getting up to anything fun in engineering? I guess you’ll be working on making some equipment that’s actually functional?”</p><p>-</p><p>Dr Jo Smith, PhD</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>[No Subject]</p><p><strong>Doctor Jo Smith</strong> &lt;thedoctor_smith@uksa.gov.uk&gt;</p><p>Sat 20/03/2020 17:17</p><p>“It looks like 17 days is my limit for homesickness.”</p><p>-</p><p>Dr Jo Smith, PhD</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>21<sup>st </sup>March 2020</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>[Subject: No Subject]</p><p><strong>Doctor Jo Smith</strong> &lt;thedoctor_smith@uksa.gov.uk&gt;</p><p>Sat 21/03/2020 14:22</p><p>[1 attachment]</p><p>“Home sweet home.”</p><p>[Image description: a high resolution satellite image of Sheffield taken from the International Space Station. It is zoomed in on the city centre and Park Hill estates are clearly visible.]</p><p>-</p><p>Dr Jo Smith, PhD</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>22<sup>nd</sup> March 2020</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><strong>Intl. Space Station</strong> @Space_Station 5h</p><p>Who can do the most consecutive somersaults? #LifeOnTheISS</p><p>[Video description: a clip of Doctor Jo Smith doing somersaults in microgravity on board the International Space Station.]</p><p> </p><p><strong>Karl Dixon </strong>@karl_dixon_ 4h</p><p>Replying to @Space_Station</p><p>@Astro_AFrame holds the record so far right?</p><p> </p><p><strong>Intl. Space Station</strong> @Space_Station 4h</p><p>Replying to @karl_dixon_ @Astro_AFrame</p><p>@Astro_Angstrom surpassed him last year with 20 somersaults!</p><p> </p><p><strong>The Doctor</strong> @Astro_JSmith 4h</p><p>Replying to @Space_Station @karl_dixon_ @Astro_AFrame @Astro_Angstrom</p><p>I’ll beat you this year Angstrom!!</p><p> </p><p><strong>callmebymy(chosen)name</strong> @the_deathless 2h</p><p>Replying to @Astro_JSmith</p><p>good luck.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Yaz stared at the papers.</p><p>There was a tickle at the back of her head, but she couldn’t hit on what it was.</p><p>The papers spread out before her were preliminary diagrams and hand-drawn plans for the UKSA steel tethers. They lay haphazardly across the desk; large-scale diagrams of the cables; close-ups on the connections; breakdowns of the fibre materials and production tools.</p><p>But something was wrong.</p><p>Yaz rifled through the bottom drawer of the cabinet beside her and pulled out a second set of files. It <em>thumped</em> on the desk disconsolately. She hated paperwork.</p><p>Unsurprisingly, the UK government was loath to allocate more of the country’s budget to the space programme, despite it being pretty much their sole source of national pride over the past decade. That meant that while the engineering division eventually got their state of the art machinery and simulation software, they had to do much of their preliminary plans by hand. Yaz was pretty sure the dusty lump in the corner was an ancient fax machine.</p><p>Of course, it was ironic that they budgeted for UKSA-own cables rather than importing existing technology, and yet provided minimal equipment to produce them.</p><p>The first lot of papers sliding out of the overstuffed file were standard reports and investigation summaries. Yaz discarded those, and moved on to the diagrams in the second stage of the planning process.</p><p>There.</p><p>She swept the papers either side of her to the floor, clearing a space in the middle of the desk to spread out two diagrams; both depicting a standard safety tether. She snapped a photo and sent it to Ryan.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>[WhatsApp: 1 unread message]</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>Yasmin</strong>
</p><p>[Image]</p><p>Take a look at this</p><p>
  <strong>Ryan</strong>
</p><p>???</p><p>oh – the calculations for tensile strength are out on the first diagram</p><p>that’s the UKSA tether right? good thing they caught that</p><p>
  <strong>Yasmin</strong>
</p><p>that’s the later diagram. the one on the right is the first plan.</p><p>
  <strong>Ryan</strong>
</p><p>?? why would they change it??</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Yaz’s heart was beating out a samba. She hurriedly packed away all the miscellaneous papers in their folders, and with the first spark of purpose she’d felt in days she emptied out every single cabinet in the room. By the end of her first hour she was kneeling on the floor, surrounded by teetering stacks of files with their contents dangerously close to spilling, with diagrams and maps and plans for the tether development tiling the floor before her.</p><p>“Yaz, not to be rude, but what the hell do you think you’re doing?”</p><p>Ramesh stood in the doorway, eyes slit and mouth set in a hard line.</p><p>Yaz sprang to her feet and edged over to the door, careful not to stir the paper carpet. She grabbed Ramesh’s arm, and ignored his surprise.</p><p>“Look at this,” she insisted, pulling him back over to her vantage point.</p><p>“What am I meant to be seeing? Evidence that you’re shirking your duties and wasting my time?”</p><p>“No, look!”</p><p>Yaz bent down and collected the first two diagrams, laying them back down on the desk to better present them.</p><p>“Look here,” she said, pointing. “The calculations are wrong. In this one, the earlier diagram, the equation’s right.”</p><p>“Okay, so what?” Ramesh asked, arms crossed.</p><p>Yaz picked up another diagram, laid it on top of the first two. “This is the third plan.”</p><p>Ramesh groaned in frustration. “Get to the point, Yaz. What are you trying to show me here?” He took a step closer and looked over the diagram. “This is exactly the same as the second one.”</p><p>“Exactly!” she said, and picked up a fourth diagram. “Look at the production notes on this one.”</p><p>Ramesh looked, and frowned. “Okay. I see what you’re saying.”</p><p>“The temperature and length of time to work the steel is wrong. Only by a tiny bit, but…” Yaz let Ramesh fill in the gaps.</p><p>Twenty or thirty more papers focussing on tiny different elements of the tethers were spread out across the floor, spanning at least the first five years of the project.</p><p>“Yaz. I think I know what you’re getting at, but these are tiny mistakes. I don’t think-“</p><p>“But all these tiny mistakes put together can be really dangerous. If every element is produced just slightly wrong the integrity of the whole piece is compromised.” Yaz raised her arms, gesturing wildly at the different diagrams on the floor, “If something isn’t properly welded, or set at a slightly wrong angle. Remember, the Columbia failed because of a weak piece of insulation.”</p><p>Ramesh looked horribly grave.</p><p>“These things would be picked up in risk assessments and testing” he protested.</p><p>“Not always. Things slip through the cracks. And if they’re tiny enough…” Yaz trailed off.</p><p>Ramesh swiped his hands over his face. He looked as if he wanted to grab the flesh and rip it off, or perhaps sleep for a thousand years.</p><p>“Only one of the tethers has failed,” he said to himself.</p><p>A heavy breath.</p><p>“Shit. Alright. We’ll have to take this to Ada.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1.) The Canadarm is real and the Canardarm2 has indeed been used on the Space Station since 2001 - nineteen years. Also my extensive googling tells me that NASA has been investigating how fire behaves in space for well over a decade now and there are still loads of questions, but essentially fire sort of stays in a blob and spreads along ventilation systems. hence why the Doctor isn't blowing things up and melting things down in microgravity in the name of science yet.<br/>3.) <i>Literally everything else technical</i> in this chapter is entirely made up, sorry!<br/>4.) A dynamometer is used to measure how strong your grip is.<br/>5.) The actor who plays Karl in <i>The Woman Who Fell To Earth</i> is called Jonny Dixon, so I nicked his last name.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Come In, Yasmin Khan!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>23<sup>rd</sup> March 2020</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>[3 missed calls from Ryan Sinclair]</p>
<p>[1 missed call from Sonya]</p>
<p>[WhatsApp: 22 unread messages]</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Ryan</strong>
</p>
<p>Yaz come to the base</p>
<p>theres a problem with the shuttle</p>
<p>I wanted you to hear from me</p>
<p>the press are gonna blow it up like always</p>
<p>don’t panic but we could use you here rn</p>
<p>don’t want to say more over chat</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p><strong>We Khan Do It </strong>💪</p>
<p>
  <strong>Mum</strong>
</p>
<p>Have you seen this?</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Crisis on Vega I? Britain’s first space flight in peril…”</strong>
</p>
<p>Yaz are you at work today?</p>
<p>
  <strong>Sonya</strong>
</p>
<p>what’s happened?</p>
<p>think she’s at the library working</p>
<p>I’ll call her</p>
<p>bloody hell</p>
<p>
  <strong>Dad</strong>
</p>
<p>she wont have her phone on shes studying</p>
<p>this is awful</p>
<p>i hope everyone’s safe</p>
<p>
  <strong>Sonya</strong>
</p>
<p>apparently something blew up!?</p>
<p>
  <strong>Dad</strong>
</p>
<p>this will devastate UKSA if anyone is fatally injured. remember Columbia?</p>
<p>
  <strong>Sonya</strong>
</p>
<p>who cares about UKSA rn???</p>
<p>
  <strong>Mum</strong>
</p>
<p>There have been so many problems on this mission, perhaps they should be shut down!</p>
<p>I’m just glad Yaz wasn’t on board</p>
<p>
  <strong>Sonya</strong>
</p>
<p>Oi @yasmin pick up your phone!</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1.) ...sorry</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Sky Blue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>13<sup>th</sup> April 2020</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Traffic was slow in the city centre that day, and the two of them were soon out in the countryside. They were driving towards the peaks, and Yaz wondered where exactly they were headed. But there was a certain tension about Jo that discouraged her from breaking the silence. Eventually the streets wound into country roads, and after only half an hour Jo instructed her to pull the car into a rudimentary lay-by at the side of Moor Road.</p><p>“Where are we?” Yaz asked.</p><p>“Those houses back there are Wigtwizzle,” Jo replied, tilting her head to gesture behind them.</p><p>“Wigtwizzle?” Yaz asked. She couldn’t keep the mirth from her voice. The Doctor broke into a smile, and just like that the tension eased.</p><p>“Yeah, but that’s not where we’re going. Come on.”</p><p>Jo left the car in a swirl of sky blue fabric.</p><p>As Yaz stepped out of the car, she noted the trees closely bordering the road and the fields beyond them, and she was grateful she’d worn her flat boots that day.</p><p>Jo led her past a park – Broomfield Park, the sign declared – and beyond the border of the Peak District. They followed a public footpath. Boots had stamped down the mud from the recent rain, and the path had hardened into its own peaks and valleys.</p><p>They were spat out into a field, and then Yaz leapt forward to steady Jo over a stile. Jo looked put out by the action, but Yaz was painfully aware of how little time had passed since her hospital discharge.</p><p>“It’s just over there,” Jo said, and nodded towards the crest of the hill they were on. The evening light was fading, and pink streaks painted the horizon.</p><p>When they reached the top, Jo stilled, gazing out at the landscape before them. All Yaz could see was hills.</p><p>“What am I meant to be seeing?” she asked.</p><p>Yaz’s question sparked Jo’s frenetic energy again, and she practically vibrated, gesturing out at the far edge of the field where a small barn stood.</p><p>“There used to be a village here called Casterborough. There was a barn there, and a few more houses along the path. In 1999 there was a small drought. Nothing to raise alarm, but the ground was dry, and there were hay bales stacked in the barn. They’d been stacked there after torrential rain a few weeks before." </p><p>She paused.</p><p>"Hay’s an insulator," she said.</p><p>“They caught fire,” Yaz said. Not a question. Jo met her eyes.</p><p>“No-one knows if it was spontaneous or arson,” she said.</p><p>The setting sun cast the barn in silhouette. Black against red flame.</p><p>“The houses were packed together too tightly,” Jo continued, “and the fire spread quickly. By the time the fire brigade got there every house was on alight. My mother died of smoke inhalation.”</p><p>Yaz felt her throat close up, and she blinked back the tears that had sprung to her eyes.</p><p>“But you got out?” she asked. She could see the sorrow in Jo’s face.</p><p>“I was out with…well.” Jo inhaled sharply and drew herself up. “He couldn’t handle it.”</p><p>“You were fifteen,” Yaz said. She had so many questions – so many platitudes she swallowed back down – and hardly any words with which to ask them.</p><p>Jo smiled, sadly. “A neighbour took me in at first, and then I was placed in foster care until I turned eighteen. I hated it. Kept leaving and wouldn’t come back for days. I went to uni as soon as I aged out, and my tutor sponsored my Master’s degree.”</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Yaz said. It felt redundant, but it was all she could think to say. Sorrow engulfed her.</p><p>“Yeah,” Jo said. She startled when Yaz gripped her hand, but settled into the touch.</p><p>“It’s been twenty years now. Over that. They were dark times, and I spent a long time being lonely, but darkness never sustains. Now I know there are always people out there who will love you.”</p><p>Yaz squeezed her hand wordlessly. They were silent for a while. Jo was red wherever the light touched. Her hair turned copper and her coat turned mauve, and she was living fire.</p><p>“Where would you go when you left the foster home?” Yaz asked, imagining this young girl hunkered down in doorways, under bridges.</p><p>A proper grin spread over Jo’s face then. “Everywhere,” she said. "I'd nick cash from the office and get the next train wherever it was going ‘til the cash ran out.” She turned to Yaz properly then; facing her instead of the ghost of Casterborough. “I’ve always been an explorer, Yaz, wanting to discover as much about the universe as I can. To find things out.”</p><p>Yaz smiled.</p><p>“Well,” she said, “I’m glad you found me.”  </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1.) Um I saw Wigtwizzle on google maps and was like, how can I <i>not</i> put this in my fic? Apparently it has a grand total of three houses and some farmland. Moor Road, Broomfield Park, and Wigtwizzle are all real. The rest is, of course, made up.</p><p>2.) I was fascinated to find out that wet hay left in bundles can spontaneously combust. Honestly idk how I've managed to write this fic considering my science education stopped at GCSE.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Ultrasonic Woman</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I was not gonna post this chapter until tomorrow but I got too excited and here we are...<br/>Chapter title is a play on 'supersonic woman' from Queen's <i>Don't Stop Me Now</i></p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>23<sup>rd</sup> March 2020</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><strong>Intl. Space Station</strong> @Space_Station 20m</p><p>We can confirm there has been a minor incident at the International Space Station. We will have a full update when more details become apparent.</p><p> </p><p><strong>callmebymy(chosen)name</strong> @the_deathless 9m</p><p>Replying to @Space_Station</p><p>oh no, what’s happened?</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>The control room was carnage. Yaz stood at the door for a few seconds, just taking it in. People were everywhere, crowded around the booths and jostling for phones and radios and computers. Harried, hushed voices clamoured for air as people made emergency calls.</p><p>Yaz ran up to the platform at the back of the room, where Ada Lovelace herself was speaking rapidly into a headset. She held a finger up when she saw Yaz, so Yaz took her old place at her desk, quickly booting up the tech and pulling on her headphones.</p><p>Ryan was speaking rapidly into his microphone and his words spiked dread in Yaz’s heart.</p><p>“-surgeon urgently. Priority is to check internal bleeding with ultrasound-“</p><p>A tap at her shoulder. The Ground Controller, Dr Frankie Ellish, crouched next to her.</p><p>“I’ll fill you in,” she said. “The shuttle’s had to be ejected from the station. It became unstable during the EVA and it’s likely to break up. We’re working to send it as far from ISS orbit as possible,” she nodded over to the cluster of Maintenance, Mechanical, Arm and Crew Systems officers in the corner of the room.</p><p>“How’s this happened?” Yaz asked, in disbelief.</p><p>“No idea. We’re working in it. There’s no good reason why it should break down like this.”</p><p>“And Dr Smith and Khan?” Yaz asked, desperately.</p><p>Frankie nodded towards Ryan. “Sinclair’s on it. Khan’s been injured. She was crushed when working on the engines and her suit was pierced. Smith only just got her in the airlock before she was exposed. The surgeon is stabilising her now but they’ll probably both have the bends and God knows what else.”</p><p>Ada appeared behind Frankie, headset-free and with a grave expression.</p><p>“Yasmin,” she said, “we need to you to liaise with the station and get the Soyuz ready for an emergency flight.”</p><p>“But if Doctor Khan’s injuries are-“</p><p>“I know. But if they are <em>not</em> too severe then we need her and Doctor Smith transported to hospital as soon as possible. You’ve got Doctors Frame and Angstrom on your line now, CAPCOM.”</p><p>Yaz nodded and turned to her duties without hesitation. She had the information she needed to get on with the job.</p><p>She took in a deep breath.</p><p>“-confirm Doctor Khan’s status now-“</p><p>Yaz shut her eyes and clamped her earphones tighter to shut out Ryan’s voice.</p><p>Deep breaths.</p><p>She snapped her eyes open, set up her call.</p><p>“Sheffield to Doctor Frame and Doctor Angstrom.”</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>UKSA: Vega I: Recovery Mission: Soyuz: 23/03/2020: Transcript</strong>
</p><p>CC = CAPCOM</p><p>(Note: Yasmin Khan’s position as CAPCOM was verbally reinstated at the commencement of the Soyuz Recovery Mission)</p><p>CC-II = CAPCOM II</p><p>(Note: Ryan Sinclair was also officially CAPCOM during the Recovery Mission. He is referred to as CC-II rather than CC-A or CC as in previous documents respective to his role)</p><p>DF = Dr Alonso Frame, semi-permanent ISS crewmember</p><p>DA = Dr. Angstrom, semi-permanent ISS crewmember</p><p> </p><p>CC: Sheffield to Doctor Frame and Doctor Angstrom. Come in. Over.</p><p>DA: We read you, Sheffield.</p><p>CC: Our goal is to safety check the Soyuz spacecraft and prepare for transport from the med bay to the spacecraft in case of an emergency flight.</p><p>DF: We’re preparing to enter the shuttle now, Sheffield.</p><p>DA: Who are we speaking to, Sheffield?</p><p>CC: Yasmin Khan, CAPCOM.</p><p>DA: Jo will be pleased your position is reinstated, Yasmin Khan.</p><p>CC: Focus on your task at hand, please, Doctor Angstrom.</p><p>DA: Roger that.</p><p>DF: Right, I’m through the hatch, Sheffield. Uh.</p><p>CC: Okay. Standard pre-flight tests. When was the last routine inspection on this craft?</p><p>DF: Last week I think?</p><p>DA: Yeah.</p><p>CC: Standby.</p><p>CC: Our data here suggests no abnormalities with the craft. Even so, I want several tests on the motion control system first off. Over.</p><p>DA: Copy that. We’re on it.</p><p>DF: We’ve got time. I think Noor’s going to be in surgery for the next hour or so at least. Can you -? Thanks.</p><p>CC: We’ll get the data from your tests directly.</p><p>DA: No doubt they’ll decompression sickness too. They were out of the airlock way too fast.</p><p>DF: [Hissing noise] God. I’ve had that. Not badly, but I wouldn’t want it again.</p><p>DA: Move over a mo. Sheffield, if they’re taking the Soyuz someone else will need to fly it. Can’t risk it with their injuries.</p><p>CC: Frame, you’ve got the most experience with Soyuz craft, right?</p><p>DF: Yeah. Yeah, I can do it. Nice excuse to come home for a bit.</p><p>DA: And I’ve got several projects up here I can’t hold. We’ll have to get you kitted out later.</p><p>CC: Once the craft is cleared we’ll liaise with the others.</p><p>DF: Others?</p><p>DA: NASA, Roco. You know. Hey, you’ll finally get to see your boyfriend. I won’t have to watch you mooning over his emails anymore.</p><p>DF: Hey, you’re just as bad.</p><p>DA: I haven’t seen my wife in ten months, Frame. It’s different.</p><p>CC: Report on motion controls.</p><p>DF: Yeah, they’re all working, Sheffield. We’ll check the pressure and life support systems.</p><p>CC: Then the emergency hatch and parachutes.</p><p>DF: Roger that.</p><p>CC-II: Hi everyone. Quick medical update.</p><p>CC: Ryan. Go on.</p><p>CC-II: Doctor Khan is currently in surgery. She’s got severe trauma to her right arm including crushed fingers and metal impaled in her forearm. Further minor injuries sustained while being removed from her spacesuit, and freezing and dehydration from exposure.</p><p>DA: Jesus.</p><p>CC-II: She’s in shock, and right now we’re not sure how she’ll pull through. She’ll probably develop symptoms of decompression sickness in the next few hours.</p><p>DA: It’s a miracle she’s alive.</p><p>CC-II: Yeah.</p><p>DF: And Jo?</p><p>CC-II: Still in the med bay. She took of part of her suit to do first-aid on Doctor Khan and keep the pressure on her arm. They repressed as long as possible but she needed the medics. Doctor Smith’s already got symptoms of decompression sickness.</p><p>CC: There are medics on her too right?</p><p>CC-II: Yeah. They’ve had to set her wrist as well. They think it’s a minor fracture.</p><p>CC: Doctor Frame’s going to pilot the Soyuz.</p><p>CC-II: That’s good. Neither of them will be able to do it.</p><p>DA: We’ll need extra restraints for Doctor Khan to keep her steady. God. This really isn’t ideal. Soyuz crafts don’t exactly have sports-car suspension.</p><p>CC-II: I’m sorry. There’s no choice. There’s only so much you can do up there.</p><p>CC: Okay, we’ll go ahead with our checks and have the craft ready for the surgeon’s go ahead. I’m already in contact with our Russian Interface Operator and they’re prepping a retrieval team.</p><p>CC-II: Alright, I’ll keep you posted. Over and out.</p><p>CC: Thanks, Ryan.</p><p>CC: How’s life support looking?</p><p>DF: All good here as well. I think we need to adapt this a bit for Noor. We’ll get some reinforcements to try and stabilise her arm inside the craft, yeah?</p><p>CC: Yeah, sounds like a good idea.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong> <span class="u">Medical Examination: Vega I: 23/03/2020: summarised notes from initial examination on board the ISS edited for clarity in mission records: Doctor Noor Khan and Doctor Jo Smith. </span> </strong>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">See full report here</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Doctor Noor Khan</strong>
</p><p>Traumatic injuries:</p><ul>
<li>Deep puncture wound on right-arm.</li>
<li>All five digits on right hand crushed.</li>
<li>Metacarpal fracture.</li>
</ul><p>Mild to moderate symptoms of decompression sickness:</p><ul>
<li>Fatigue (may result from any of patient’s injuries).</li>
<li>Joint pain primarily on right side of body.</li>
<li>Loss of consciousness, confusion, decreased awareness.</li>
</ul><p>Exposure:</p><ul>
<li>Freezing</li>
<li>Dehydration</li>
</ul><p>Misc:</p><ul>
<li>Expected levels of muscle atrophy resulting from microgravity.</li>
<li>Expected decrease in healing time resulting from microgravity.</li>
<li>Shock. </li>
</ul><p>No signs of severe internal bleeding excluding standard haematomas expected from ISS activity and right-hand side trauma.</p><p>(Notes: unable to thoroughly interview patient as a result of anaesthesia and symptoms of decompression sickness resulting in loss of consciousness.)</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Doctor Jo Smith</strong>
</p><p>Traumatic injuries:</p><ul>
<li>Suspected fracture at waist (middle) of scaphoid bone (wrist).</li>
</ul><p>Moderate symptoms of decompression sickness:</p><ul>
<li>Fatigue</li>
<li>Mild itchy rash on extremities (hands) and face</li>
<li>Numbness of extremities (hands)</li>
<li>Mild vertigo</li>
<li>Suspected difficulty with balance</li>
<li>Joint pain</li>
</ul><p>Misc:</p><ul>
<li>Expected levels of muscle atrophy resulting from microgravity.</li>
<li>Expected decrease in healing time resulting from microgravity.</li>
<li>Shock. </li>
</ul><p>No signs of severe internal bleeding excluding standard haematomas expected from ISS activity and right-hand side trauma.</p><p>(Notes: wrist injury may require surgery, balance tests cannot be accurately measured in microgravity.)</p><p>((Further notes: Dr Smith’s adjustments to the ultrasound hardware resulted in much more efficient assessments of broken bones and internal bleeding. Minor ultrasonic treatment was administered to Dr Smith’s fractured wrist to counteract her reduced healing rate. I considered this treatment too unpredictable for Dr Khan’s more extensive injuries.))</p><p>
  <strong>Recommendation: the patients should both be returned to Earth on an emergency flight as soon as possible after immediate post-surgery recovery and stabilisation. </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Dr Thomas Milligan</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>25<sup>th</sup> March 2020</strong>
</p><p> </p><p><strong>Intl. Space Station</strong> @Space_Station 10m</p><p>We can confirm that the Soyuz Spacecraft on board the ISS is undocked and commencing a return flight to Earth.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>26<sup>th</sup> March 2020</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><strong>UKSA</strong> @UKSA 1d</p><p>Our Vega I mission has concluded prematurely due to an incident aboard the ISS @Space_Station. Our astronauts will be returning on the ISS Soyuz spacecraft. </p><p> </p><p><strong>UKSA</strong> @UKSA 23h</p><p>UKSA can confirm the astronauts on board the undocked Soyuz spacecraft are Dr Jo Smith @Astro_JSmith, Dr Noor Khan @Astro_NKhan, and Dr Alonso Frame @Astro_AFrame.</p><p> </p><p><strong>UKSA</strong> @UKSA 22h</p><p>The Soyuz spacecraft is predicted to land in approximately 3h30m at a Kazakhstan landing site. We will be posting frequent updates.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Intl. Space Station</strong> @Space_Station 21h</p><p>The ISS Soyuz spacecraft has begun its return mission to Earth. Here is a shot of its plasma trail from on board the @Space_Station:</p><p>
  <em>[Image Alt Text: a photograph taken from the International Space Station showing the plasma trail left by the Soyuz spacecraft on its return to Earth.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p><strong>UKSA</strong> @UKSA 20h</p><p>Our Public Relations Officer is reporting to us live from the ground in Kazakhstan via satellite phone.</p><p> </p><p><strong>UKSA</strong> @UKSA 18h</p><p>UKSA and @roscosmos can confirm all three astronauts on board the ISS Soyuz spacecraft have been successfully retrieved at the landing site.</p><p> </p><p><strong>UKSA</strong> @UKSA 16h</p><p>We can confirm press reports that two of the astronauts on board the Soyuz craft were airlifted to a Kazakh hospital after landing.  </p><p>
  
</p><p><strong>UKSA</strong> @UKSA 15h</p><p>See footage of the successful Soyuz craft descent:</p><p>[Video description: a twenty second video showing the descent of the Soyuz craft, from a powerful long range camera.]</p><p> </p><p><strong>UKSA</strong> @UKSA 14h</p><p>UKSA can confirm that the break-up of the Vega I shuttle resulted in a significant quantity of space debris. We are in conversation with relevant providers and authorities to discuss the impact on satellites in-orbit.</p><p> </p><p><strong>UKSA</strong> @UKSA 13h</p><p>We would ask the public not to speculate on the events of the past 72 hours until a full-investigation has been carried out. UKSA and the ISS @Space_Station can confirm reports of an explosion are false.</p><hr/><p> </p><p><strong>UKSA</strong> @UKSA 12h</p><p>UKSA can confirm press reports that Dr Noor Khan @Astro_NKhan and Dr Jo Smith @Astro_JSmith are currently being treated for minor injuries.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Piers Morgan</strong> @piersmorgan 11h</p><p>Replying to @UKSA @Astro_NKhan @Astro_JSmith</p><p>Best wishes to Jo and Noor. I hope they have a swift recovery.</p><p> </p><p><strong>peraspera-adastra</strong> @astroaspirations 10h</p><p>Replying to @piersmorgan @UKSA @Astro_NKhan @Astro_JSmith</p><p>stfu wanker</p><p> </p><p><strong>callmebymy(chosen)name</strong> @the_deathless 10h</p><p>Replying to @UKSA @Astro_NKhan @Astro_JSmith</p><p>MINOR injuries?</p><p> </p><p><strong>Bob Gresham</strong> @BobGresh 10h</p><p>Replying to @piersmorgan @UKSA @Astro_NKhan @Astro_JSmith</p><p>[This reply has been deleted.]</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p><strong>UKSA</strong> @UKSA 9h</p><p>For those searching for information on the Vega I mission, we have set up a feed on our website with live updates: https://www.uksa.gov/articles/vega-i/live-updates</p><p> </p><p><strong>Marys Poppin Pussy </strong>@neilbeauchanan 9h</p><p>Replying to @UKSA</p><p>If the situation isn’t that serious why set up a live update feed?</p><p> </p><p><strong>Fatima_Laughs</strong> @thatsciencegal 8h</p><p>Replying to @UKSA @neilbeauchanan</p><p>Possibly because this is the most important space mission in British history? What are they meant to do when there’s so much media interest?</p><p> </p><p><strong>Marys Poppin Pussy </strong>@neilbeauchanan 8h</p><p>Replying to @UKSA @thatsciencegal</p><p>I’m just saying setting up a live feed about the astronauts’ medical status isn’t a good look if they want to stop speculation</p><p>
  
</p><hr/><p> </p><p><strong>UKSA</strong> @UKSA 7h</p><p>UKSA will no longer be tweeting about the Vega I mission. All verified information regarding the mission can be found at https://www.uksa.gov/articles/vega-i/</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1.) 'Ground Controller' is a real NASA position, as well as 'Maintenance, Mechanical, Arm and Crew Systems'. </p><p>2.) The Soyuz shuttle is a Russian spacecraft which takes astronauts to and from the ISS. On return it needs to be piloted carefully, and it lands by breaking up and using parachutes on the 'second' capsule (where the astronauts are). Every single piece of land large and flat enough for a landing space in situated in the Kazakh plains. </p><p>3.) The bends/decompression sickness: mostly seen in scuba divers - nitrogen in the body dissolves into your blood the deeper you go and the higher the pressure. If you come up too fast you will fizz like coke as the nitrogen is released. This will cause hella pain and can be fatal. Astronauts depress/repress in airlocks to get used to pressure changes. </p><p>4.) Living in the ISS reduces bone density and wastes your muscles. This all decreases the ability to heal. Ultrasound technology hasn't been proved to help with healing fractures <i>except</i> for on people who already have reduced healing ability. </p><p>5.) Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or a nurse or a surgeon or even a med student! I am reading articles and NASA info and then making things up!</p><p>6.) Space debris fucks shit up. All debris that is like, more than a few mm, is tracked by radar so satellites and the ISS can avoid it. Sometime orbits need to be altered to do so. Micrometeorites or micro-debris are a huge hazard to the ISS and astronauts on spacewalks. Shuttles that have exploded in space are a huge cause of debris in Earth's orbit.</p><p>7.) These are the articles I found in-fucking-valuable for this chapter:<br/>- https://www.nasa.gov/johnson/HWHAP/soyuz-landing<br/>- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-34810412 (bullet 3)<br/>- https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/nasa-knows/what-is-the-soyuz-spacecraft-k-4<br/>- https://www.wired.com/story/zero-g-blood-and-the-many-horrors-of-space-surgery/</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. You Must Have Been Like God</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>1<sup>st</sup> April 2020</strong>
</p><p>It was a week since the accident.</p><p>Yaz and Ryan had barely left the Sheffield Mission Control Centre since the Soyuz capsule had landed in Kazakhstan. The days were long, and filled with endless conferences with UKSA’s Russian Interface Operator and Roscosmos about the Soyuz retrieval, replacing the ISS emergency craft, security details for the injured astronauts, securing overflight clearances for repatriation, liaising with the British embassy in Kazakhstan, and trying to head off the endless interrogations about damage control and accusations of corruption within UKSA.</p><p>Not to mention the catastrophic stress on the Finance Team.</p><p>Dr Lovelace was unstoppable in the face of it all. As soon as the Soyuz Shuttle had launched from the ISS she had officially reinstated Yaz’s position as CAPCOM, and since then Yaz was certain she hadn’t stopped to breathe. Almost immediately every department at the SMCC had mobilised to work on the retrieval operation, and within two days half of the centre was closed down for internal investigations.</p><p>But today was the day that the Doctor was being flown back to the UK, and the first day Yaz could take a breath.</p><p>The plane would be landing in a few hours, and Yaz new the schedule by rote now, since she had planned most of it: The Doctor would be collected by Sheffield Mission Control Centre security from Leeds Bradford Airport, which had grounded all scheduled flights for the arrival, and then transported directly to Leeds General Infirmary, where a small ward had been isolated.</p><p>The Finance and Operations teams had fully taken over communications with Roscosmos that morning, and Ryan had gone home for a shower and a power nap.</p><p>Yaz was exhausted. After she’d showered in the gym that morning she’d caught sight of her reflection in the mirror. Black smudges puffed from her eyes, and her skin had an unattractive, ashy tinge to it.</p><p>But no matter what she did, she knew there was no way she’d sleep until she saw the Doctor, safe in front of her.</p><p>As she contemplated the pounding in her temple, the chair next to her was pulled out, and a slight figure sat themselves in it.</p><p>“Sorry,” Yaz muttered, staring at her hands. There was a hangnail on her thumb where she’d anxiously bitten it to the quick.</p><p>“What for?” asked Ada Lovelace.</p><p>Yaz looked around the dark room she’d hidden herself in; the tables and chairs pushed to the walls; the yellow and black ribbon cordoning off the door.</p><p>“I know I’m not meant to be in here,” she said, but her voice was flat and insincere.</p><p>Ada stayed silent.</p><p>“I just…needed a minute. To get away from it all.”</p><p>“And why do you think I’m here?” Ada asked.</p><p>Yaz looked up to Ada’s level gaze, and saw she was entirely earnest. Yaz supposed that all of them had had a tremendous weight on their shoulders.</p><p>Ada stood then, and busied herself at a coffee machine tucked in the corner of the dark room. When she re-joined Yaz at the table, she carried two paper cups filled with foamy cappuccinos.</p><p>“Thanks,” Yaz said. Acknowledging the gesture sucked the last of her energy like the air from a balloon. The coffee was a small kindness, but in that moment she felt more vulnerable to this woman than ever before.</p><p>“Take a few days,” Ada said, and when Yaz whipped her head up she held out a placating hand. “Don’t worry, this isn’t a demotion, or a punishment of any kind. It is rare indeed to see resilience in the face of challenge such as you have, Yasmin, and I do not think it’s an exaggeration to say that without you this mission would have failed and both Doctor Smith and Doctor Khan would be dead.”</p><p>Yaz choked on her tongue. She sipped her coffee in silence.</p><p>“The danger has passed now,” Ada continued, “and the situation is in hand. I’d like you to take a week to recover, and while the choice is yours I would recommend a chat with one of our psychiatrists.”</p><p>Yaz nodded. “Yeah, I’ll do that.”</p><p>Ada smiled, and stood up in that regal manner of hers. Yaz wondered if she felt as in control as she looked.</p><p>“Doctor Smith’s flight lands in two and half hours,” Ada said, briefly stopping by the door, “there will be a car waiting for you by reception.”</p><p>And as suddenly as she arrived she had slipped away, leaving Yaz staring at the dregs of foam in her cup.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>The driver was one of the security guards that covered the perimeter of the SMCC. Thankfully he wasn’t the chatty sort, and that left Yaz time to sort through her anxieties in the back seat of the SUV.</p><p>Yaz was impatient to properly meet the Doctor, to see confirm that she was alive with her own eyes. She could have been transferred to the UK the day after the accident but she’d insisted on staying by Noor’s side through the first week. Noor had passed out in the Soyuz craft, and was to be treated at the specialist Roscosmos facilities until she was fully recovered.</p><p>The Doctor would be able to walk short distances again now, and Yaz was curious about how she walked, how she held her shoulders, wore her hair. When she stood did she point a foot out or maintain a perfect posture? She wanted to see if the Doctor orbited her with the same total focus and dedication as the planets she studied.</p><p>But…did the Doctor have the same regard for her? Or was their relationship purely formed by necessity on her lonely journey in space? Would the conditions now be enough to sustain a friendship?</p><p>The hour drive to Leeds was interminable. This was the most rest Yaz had been given in days, and yet she felt utterly restless. She ached with the need to get up and do something, and she wished she’d been the one driving just to take some action. Her agitation only increased when the driver took the city centre route and ended up in three lanes of traffic on East Parade.</p><p>A pedestrian knocked the back of the SUV as they wound through the traffic, and the urge to get out and run erupted inside Yaz. The door was open before she registered the action.</p><p>“Hey!” the driver yelled, as she slipped out of the car.</p><p>She shut the door on his protests, and broke into a run.</p><p>The traffic was at a standstill, and Yaz wound her way through the buses and cars filling the Headrow, unashamedly knocking pedestrians out of her way before taking the Calverley Street incline at a run and cutting through the back roads to the infirmary's Clarendon Wing entrance.</p><p>She didn’t know if her driver was meant to accompany her or just drop her off at A&amp;E, but she was glad she hadn’t wasted another half hour in the stuffy car.</p><p>Hospital management had reserved an orthopaedic ward in Clarendon at her request, so rather than waste time asking around she quickly surveyed the wing, and soon enough she spotted two UKSA security guards at the end of a corridor.</p><p>The guards were silent as one checked over her UKSA ID and spent a generous chunk of time double checking her against her photo.</p><p>Yaz’s patience was fast running out.</p><p>“Are you gonna let me in or not?” she demanded.</p><p>His nostrils flared in anger, but he stepped aside and gestured her through the set of double doors behind him.</p><p>Yaz shook her head in frustration. What was it this time? She hoped it was just security being overcautious with their charge, but she couldn’t help but suspect them of profiling her.</p><p>There was yet another empty corridor beyond the doors, and Yaz set off down it with a much more cautious step.</p><p>It was horribly silent in comparison to the rest of the hospital. Where there should be the bustle of doctors and cleaners and families moving through the halls there was just stillness, amplified by the stark lighting.</p><p>When Yaz reached the end of the hall, she paused. Another thread of anxiety coiled within her as she thought for the first time about what she might see in the hospital bed. Roscosmos had sent over a summary report of the Doctor’s condition, enough for Yaz to know that aside from a broken wrist and wasted muscles, she suffered little more than extensive bruising. But even so, the thought of the Doctor weakened in a hospital bed churned her stomach.</p><p>She took in a fortifying breath, and placed her palm against the door.</p><p>She stopped.</p><p>Was that…?</p><p>Yaz stilled as she registered rising voices from the ward beyond. There was the distinctive Yorkshire twang she would recognise anywhere, but she didn’t recognise the other person. They had a softer, deeper voice, and Yaz struggled to make out any of the words.</p><p>She edged the door open carefully, so as to limit the noise of the suction.</p><p>“Oh…” the soft voice said, “oh Jo…Jo. Jo. Jo. Jo. Jo. Ha.”</p><p>The voice raised gooseflesh on Yaz’s arms.</p><p>“What are you really doing here?” the Doctor asked, and Yaz had never heard her sound like that before. All at once her voice sounded hard and pleading. Confused and angry.</p><p>“Don’t you know? Haven’t you guessed?” the voice replied. “Huh. I’ve gone through…through <em>so much trouble</em> for you, Jo, and you don’t even know it.”</p><p>A hysterical laugh floated through the ward and Yaz slipped through the door and shut it behind her. She was in a small ward with room for only four beds. A medical curtain enclosed the one at the end, and a broad figure paced inside it, shadow mutating across its folds.</p><p>“What do you mean, you’ve done so much for me? I haven’t seen you in twenty years!”</p><p>“No! No, no no! You don’t – you don’t <em>see</em>. Why don’t you <em>see!?</em>”</p><p>A fist slammed against the wall, and Yaz spotted crumbling white plaster underneath the curtain. She crouched down behind another bed and fished her phone out of her pocket.</p><p>“Kos-“</p><p>“<em>Don’t</em> use that name!”</p><p>Yaz flinched, and closed her eyes for a second, steadying her breathing. Thankfully her fingers were sure on the keys as she shot off a text: ‘BRAVO HOSPITAL NEED BACKUP’.</p><p>She put her phone on silent and slipped it back in her pocket.</p><p>Hard boots thumped the floor in menacing harmony with the stranger’s heavy breathing.</p><p>“Have you even thought about me?” they asked, “about us? In the last <em>twenty years?</em>”</p><p>“All the time,” the Doctor replied. “I never stopped.”</p><p>The stranger’s breath hitched, and Yaz realised in horror that they were sobbing.</p><p>“I’ve been here for a long time, Jo,” they said, inhaling deeply, humming under their breath. “Not, you know, <em>here</em>, but watching you. Biding my time.”</p><p>“You’re the one who left,” the Doctor said, voice flat. “What happened to you?”</p><p>“Stop it. All these – all these <em>questions!</em> Just stop! I can’t <em>think!</em>”</p><p>There was a tense silence.</p><p>“You know…it’s so easy to corrupt an experiment. Do you know what I mean? A forged document here, a signature there. The slightest, <em>tiniest</em> adjustment of a screw. And a whole mission can come…tumbling…down.” A painful inhale from the bed. “And you know…I never forgave you. Never.”</p><p>“There’s nothing to <em>forgive!</em>” the Doctor yelled, and Yaz gasped at a loud clang against the bed rail.</p><p>“<em>Stop it!</em>” The order rang through the air, drowning out the singing vibrations. “This is why I’m here... You see it now. Don’t you?”</p><p>Yaz peeked out, and saw a mass of shadows on the bed, like some eldritch monster looming over a child. She pulled off her boots and crept towards the curtain on socked feet, staying as hidden as possible. There was a discarded food tray on the bed beside her.</p><p>“No,” the Doctor replied. “I don’t understand this. I looked for you. I-“</p><p>The Doctor was cut off by a growl and a sickening choking noise.</p><p>“I put a lot of thought into it all. The SPACER was a stroke of genius, I think. The idea of you, helpless, alone, just waiting for death. But I hoped it would be the engines. Crushed by your own shuttle, blood boiling in the vacuum of space. And yet....you <em>still</em> managed to survive.”</p><p>Yaz could make out more detail now; see the hand wrapped around the Doctor’s neck, the figure kneeling over her.</p><p>“It was all so <em>elegant</em>. Really, you should be impressed by my artistry. But maybe I should just get it over and done with.”</p><p>The figure raised a hand, and in their grip was an unmistakeable weapon.</p><p>Yaz surged forward.</p><p>“No!”</p><p>She thrust the curtain aside and barrelled towards the bed, bringing the food tray down hard on the stranger’s head.</p><p>They grappled. The man fell back on the bed and grabbed Yaz’s waist as he went down. The Doctor shouted. Yaz shoved her elbow hard into his solar plexus and went for the gun, but his grip was too strong and he vaulted up and pressed a knee into her stomach. The muzzle of the gun tucked snug under her chin.</p><p>“Stop it!” the Doctor yelled.</p><p>Yaz stared into the man’s eyes. He grinned, his eyes wide and wet and shining.</p><p>And then the Doctor was there behind him, hands on his gun arm, forcing his attention on her.</p><p>“Stop it. Now,” she said. Her voice was like ice. “Let her go.”</p><p>He shook his head in disbelief. “Let her go? Let her…are you serious?”</p><p>He turned back to Yaz and watched gleefully as she sucked in pained breaths.</p><p>“You must be Yasmin Khan,” he said, and shoved her head back with the gun. “Ha. I’m glad you’re here, Yaz. Kill two birds with one stone and all that.”</p><p>“Yaz has nothing to do with us,” the Doctor said, “you’re here for me.”</p><p>“You want me to kill you first, <em>Doctor?</em>” he sneered.</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>A beat.</p><p>For a split second, he turned around. Yaz brought her knee up. <em>Hard.</em></p><p>The man crumpled with a screech, and Yaz grabbed his wrist, shoved it back with a sickening <em>snap</em>, and pulled the gun from his limp fingers.</p><p>She held the muzzle at his head.</p><p>She heard the Doctor shift next to her.</p><p>“Yaz…” she whispered. A hand rested on her forearm.</p><p>The grip of the gun was hot from the man’s hand. She dug the muzzle against his temple, and imagined the hot throb of blood against the metal.</p><p>The man began to laugh.</p><p>“Come on…<em>do it</em>…blow my brains out, come on, c’mon, c’mon…”</p><p>“Yaz, put the gun down,” the Doctor murmured. There was a hand at her arm, a hand at her waist. The cast on the Doctor’s wrist scraped against her back.</p><p>“Don’t listen to her, Yaz, shoot me, go on…”</p><p>“Yaz. No!”</p><p>“<em>Do it!</em>”</p><p>The doors slammed off the walls.</p><p>“No-one is doing anything,” Ada said.</p><p>She swept open the curtains. Five agents shelled in kevlar surged forward and dragged the man to the floor. He thrashed violently in their grasp, and stared up at the Doctor with murderous eyes and spittle on his chin.</p><p>Yaz seized up.</p><p>She told herself to move, but her body was stubbornly arthritic and she couldn’t un-claw her fingers from the gun.</p><p>“Yaz,” the Doctor repeated. Her bruised fingers came to rest over Yaz’s, gently prizing her fingers off one by one. She placed the gun on the pillow.</p><p>“Look at me,” she commanded.</p><p>Yaz blinked, and the Doctor was in front of her, back turned to the stranger being hauled from the room.</p><p>“Doctor…” Yaz said, and they both surged forward to embrace the other, gripping with clasping fingers and desperate breaths.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1.) Guess which city I know far more about than Sheffield lol *hospital flashbacks*<br/>2.) SURPRISE</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. A Little TLC</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>11<sup>th</sup> April 2020</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>For over a week Yaz heard neither hide nor hair from the Doctor. Her days were a constant cycle of eating (not enough), sleeping (not enough), and writing reports (too much), but the exhaustion couldn’t keep her anxiety at bay.</p><p>A few days previously the Doctor had appeared on her first televised interview – a short statement of no more than a minute on a national news segment, where the reporter asked her painfully rehearsed questions about the food, the toilets, the empty void of space, and steered clear of any controversial topics. The Doctor’s answers were lost in the flush of her cheeks, the space-rapture in her eyes, the curl of her ear adorned with a silver chain.</p><p>Yaz’s sister had poked fun at her ‘mooning’ all evening.</p><p>And while the Doctor spoke, Yaz felt that familiar urge to get up and run to the stars; to spring from the window of the tower block and shoot from the rocket launcher soles of her ankle boots up through the atmosphere and into the endless starry night. But the feeling turned to a sick ash as the Doctor adjusted her silk scarf, revealing for a split second the deep purple of her collarbone.</p><p>Earlier that day Ada had approached her with news of the Doctor’s imminent discharge.</p><p>“Yasmin,” she’d said, holding a stack of paperwork, “Jo will be going home tomorrow, and we’d like you to stay with her for a couple of days.”</p><p>Yaz had been confused.</p><p>“Why?” she’d asked. Why her? Why give her responsibility now, when the mission was over? Why not someone the Doctor was closer to?</p><p>“We need…” Ada trailed off, glancing around the room. She perched on the edge of an empty chair by Yaz’s desk. “We just need someone to check in on her occasionally. Perhaps spend a couple of nights in the house, and make sure she takes it easy.”</p><p>The subtext slowly dawned on Yaz. “You think she’s still in danger…” she said.</p><p>Ada shook her head. “I’m certain this is over, but it doesn’t hurt to keep our wits about us for the foreseeable future. I will arrange paid leave for you next week.”</p><p>Yaz nodded, and Ada’s usually solemn face softened. She touched Yaz’s shoulder, briefly, and then left.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>The Doctor was finally out of active surveillance, and out of the hospital. Yaz stood on the threshold of the UKSA canteen, watching a small gathering of people on the far side. They were the only occupants of the room.</p><p>There was a flash of blonde hair in the group, and Yaz couldn’t help smiling as a familiar high-pitched Yorkshire brogue floated above the chattering personnel, the cheeky inflections obvious even if the poor acoustics rendered her words indistinguishable.</p><p>Her anxiety bubbled, and she felt a bit of a creep, watching the Doctor from the doorway.</p><p>Then the crowd parted and the Doctor saw her fidgeting, wrapped up her conversation and bid her friends farewell as they filtered, still chattering, out of the room. Yaz was at her table before she could get up from her hard plastic-backed chair. A plate smeared with streaks of sauce sat empty on a red tray.</p><p>Yaz nodded towards it. “Better than freeze-dried food, yeah?”</p><p>The Doctor snorted. “Not sure where I’d rank it, honestly. Space food. Hospital food. Canteen food.” She shrugged.</p><p>“How are you settling in?” Yaz asked. For the first time in six weeks, she didn’t know what to say. Maybe the tension between them was just her, the surreality of their physical proximity throwing her off.</p><p>The Doctor had straightened, letting her arms fall from their elbow-point pose on her knees. She folded her hands over one another in a half-cross move that Yaz clocked as defensive. Awkward.</p><p>“Oh I’m fine.” She waved a hand, voice flippant and carrying that cheeky thread of humour so familiar to Yaz from their daily comms. “What about you? I hear the post-mission paperwork is the best part of your job?”</p><p>The Doctor raised her chin – that smooth strong chin – and her lips pulled into an irresistible smile. Yaz couldn’t stop a matching grin spread across her own face. She thought her cheeks may have reddened just slightly, and knew the fluorescent canteen lights wouldn’t pity her.</p><p>“Can’t wait to be rid of your dulcet tones, absolute nightmare listening to your audio reports over and over again.”</p><p>“They’ve got you on those? Awful people,” the Doctor teased back. “The real question, though, is which lucky person gets to accuracy-check our conversations?”</p><p>Yaz definitely blushed this time.</p><p>“Ryan,” she said sheepishly.</p><p>Only that day Ryan had gestured to the auto-generated transcript on his screen with a raised eyebrow.</p><p>“Pernicious canid?” he’d asked.</p><p>Yaz had cleared her throat, awkwardly. “Vermicious Knids, actually.”  </p><p>“Brilliant!” The Doctor laughed.</p><p>Yaz was enraptured.</p><p>It was really something to see the woman laugh; watch tiny wrinkles form at the corners of her eyes; the subtle dimples at her cheeks. Yaz was struck with the urge to brush her hair back behind her ear and trace her knuckles down her round cheek.</p><p>Her phone buzzed in her pocket.</p><p>“Seriously though, Doctor,” she said, “how are you? Acclimatising to gravity again is the hardest thing-“</p><p>“Oh shut up, miss worrywart.” The Doctor waved her concerns off genially, but Yaz still frowned. “I just need a bit of rest and a bit of TLC and I’ll be fine and back to the daily slog soon enough.”</p><p>Yaz’s phone buzzed again, and she took it out with an apologetic glance.</p><p> </p><p>WhatsApp: [2 unread messages]</p><p>
  <strong>Dad</strong>
</p><p>Will you be in for tea tomorrow? I’m making pakora</p><p>Nani says bring your astronaut friend!</p><p> </p><p>…TLC, she’d said.</p><p>“My dad’s making pakora tomorrow night. No pressure, I mean he’s not a great cook but…” she looked down at the glowing screen of her phone, anxiety suddenly spiking through her again, “…there’s enough to go around…if you’d like to come?”</p><p>A beat. Then there were slight, firm fingers grasping her chin, pulling her insistently into a hard kiss – the Doctor’s mouth warm and soft and inviting – and Yaz was suspended there like a burning star plucked from space.</p><p>Eventually those soft lips parted from hers, and the scrunch of their noses eased from where they’d nestled together, and the Doctor’s steady breaths were whisper-fine and warm against her cheek.</p><p>“Sorry,” she whispered.</p><p>Yaz felt her hair tickling her ear.</p><p>“I’ve, uh, overstepped, yeah? Got the wrong end of the- I’ll just-“</p><p>Yaz crushed their mouths back together. She savoured the Doctor’s low gasp on her tongue and finally gave into the urge to tuck back her hair; to finger the delicate silver chain where it adorned the crest of her ear; to drink in that trace shiver and cup the Doctor’s gorgeous face in her hands.</p><p>They panted when they broke apart.</p><p>“The right end of the stick,” Yaz whispered. “You got the right end.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>God can you believe! This is the final chapter! Just the epilogue and postface to go...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>22<sup>nd</sup> April 2020 </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>It was a clear night, and blazing ropes carved across the sky like golden knives.</p><p>Jo pressed closer to Yaz underneath the thick blanket hugging their shoulders, tilting her head against hers. They were up the hill, watching the Lyrid meteor shower streak through the studded sky and herald the dawn.</p><p>“There’s another one,” Jo whispered, and they both tilted their heads to watch a bolt burn bright through the sky.</p><p>A stunned exhale reached them from a few metres off, and Yaz saw the look of rapture on Wilf’s lined face. He must have seen hundreds of meteor showers in his time, and yet in that moment Yaz understood the incomprehensible magic of it all.</p><p>Wilf had only messaged Yaz last week with the details of the shower, instructing her to rise early and bring ‘her lady’ to watch.</p><p>They’d camped out on the hill from midnight with Wilf and Ryan, sharing blankets and portable heaters and hot food and drink, watching Vega for the light show to begin. In the early hours Grace and Graham had joined them, and now they huddled together further off, watching the display in a loose embrace.</p><p>Yaz turned back to the sky. The trajectories of the shooting stars had burned into her eyes, and she saw the invisible streaks and weaves of them forming a net above the hill, igniting that explosive boundary of the mesosphere.</p><p>“It’s so beautiful,” Yaz whispered.</p><p>Jo wrapped an arm around Yaz’s waist, and clutched the blanket close around them.</p><p>“I’m glad I can watch it, here, with you,” she said, “with all of you.”</p><p>Yaz pressed a brief kiss to the top of her head. Over the last week they’d grown close with Ryan and his grandparents and Wilf. Noor had returned home to Falmouth a few days before, and Yaz was comforted knowing she was watching the same display in the clear Cornish skies.</p><p>Dark blue wisps of cloud pulled in above them, obscuring the fainter meteors.</p><p>“It’ll be dawn soon,” Yaz said.</p><p>Jo snuggled closer, making no move to pack up their things.</p><p>“We can go home and sleep,” she said, stifling a yawn, “but first let’s see in the new day.”</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1.) The Lyrid meteor shower is a yearly event and this year it was on the night of April 21st/ the morning of April 22nd.<br/>- https://www.space.com/23315-lyrid-meteor-shower.html<br/>- https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/photos-lyrid-meteors-april-2020</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Postface</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>24<sup>rd</sup> June 2030</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>BREAKING NEWS: Plot to kill ‘The Doctor’ in UKSAs Vega I mission unveiled in released government report.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>“Like something from a movie!” Vega I Murder Plot revealed in government report released to the public under the newly reduced ten-year rule!</strong>
</p><p>UKSA’s 2020 Vega I mission was ground-breaking for British space travel, but it has now been revealed that incompetence at highest levels and a murderous assassin almost culminated in the death of the two crewmembers.</p><p>Accidents in space are not unheard of, such as the Columbia disaster in 2003 which killed seven crewmembers upon re-entry of the Earth’s atmosphere. So when reports broke on 24 March 2020 of an ‘incident’ at the International Space Station, the British public feared news of catastrophe.</p><p>An engine in the nose of the Vega I shuttle had malfunctioned during repairs on a spacewalk, leaving Dr Noor Khan critically injured. Dr Jo Smith, known as ‘The Doctor’, got both of them to safety whilst Station crew members ejected the shuttle, which later shattered into space debris.</p><p>But this story only scratches the surface of the fatal tampering with Vega I.</p><p>-</p><p>
  <strong>‘The Vega Files’ </strong>
</p><p>The report, dubbed ‘The Vega Files’ thoroughly documents the thorough investigation carried out by Dr Ada Lovelace into the mission in 2022.</p><p>We’ve summarised the Files below, and you can read the full report at this <span class="u">link</span>.</p><p>The Vega Files reveal that the engine malfunction wasn’t the only near-fatal accident on the mission:</p><p> - On 8 March 2020 faulty safety equipment on a scheduled spacewalk nearly resulted in Dr Smith’s death, as she became untethered from the Space Station and the navigation controls of her SPACER (a jet pack used to move in space) malfunctioned. This left her unmoored, floating away from the Station and its orbit with three hours of life support left. Only the quick thinking of Dr Noor Khan and the Capsule Communicators at Mission Control saved Smith’s life, as Khan fashioned a rudimentary cord the length of seven tethers, and managed to reattach Smith to the Station after Smith was forced to fly blind to get back within range of the device. </p><p> - A detailed investigation of Vega I revealed tampering with not just the tethers, but also the exterior of the shuttle itself. Dr Lovelace theorises that the instability of the shuttle was likely meant to cause a break up during its launch on 3 March. While the shuttle held, the stress turned it into a ticking time bomb, resulting in the freak accident on 24 March which almost killed Dr Khan.</p><p> - Dr Lovelace found that many of the primary Mission Control staff did not meet the basic requirements of their role. This included the Flight Director who controlled the mission, Dr Ramesh Sunder, who failed multiple aptitude tests and emergency simulations at the base.</p><p> - Two other notable appointments were those of the Capsule Communicators; Dr Ryan Sinclair and Dr Yasmin Khan (now the long-term partner of Dr Smith). Unusually, two CAPCOMs were appointed for the mission instead of one, presumably to cause inefficiency in emergency situations. Both CAPCOMs were underqualified, having no prior experience in planning or executing space missions, and neither having achieved their PhD before the launch of Vega I. Indeed, Dr Lovelace explains that Dr Yasmin Khan was briefly under investigation during the Vega I mission, when UKSA initially suspected a plot to sabotage the mission itself. Amazingly, the appointment of the two CAPCOMs undoubtedly saved the lives of both Dr Khan and Dr Smith multiple times, as their quick thinking under pressure and seamless teamwork resulted in two successful recovery missions.</p><p> - An excerpt of the Vega I communications is included in The Vega Files, which reveals an argument between CAPCOM Dr Yasmin Khan and Flight Director Dr Ramesh Sunder during the incident of 8 March. Khan’s defiance of authority was a key factor in saving The Doctor’s life.</p><p>-</p><p>
  <strong>Who dunnit?</strong>
</p><p>Known only as ‘The Master’, the identity of the assassin himself is classified at the highest level. We may never know exactly who he is, although we can infer from the scale of destruction that he must have been a strong influence within UKSA.</p><p>What we know for certain is that that his personal vendetta against The Doctor could have resulted in not only the deaths of two astronauts, but potentially the catastrophic destruction of the International Space Station and all of its inhabitants. It is certain that the effects of his plot will impact space travel for decades to come.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And that's a wrap! Thank you so much to those of you who subscribed, left kudos, commented, and supported me and this fic over the last couple of weeks. Extra thanks to those of you who commented on every single chapter - you know who you are and I dearly love every one of you &lt;3 </p><p>Here are a selection of further sources that are interesting/useful and which I haven't already included throughout the fic:<br/>- https://www.space.com/23017-weightlessness.html<br/>- https://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/a11transcript_tec.html (The literal Apollo 11 mission transcript!)<br/>- https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/10/nasa-spacewalk/599704/<br/>- https://www.nasa.gov/johnson/HWHAP/how-to-plan-a-spacewalk (This was probably the most useful source through the entire writing process)<br/>- https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/how-astronauts-deal-with-emergencies<br/>- https://www.popsci.com/what-happens-to-your-body-when-you-die-in-space/#<br/>- https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/k-4/features/F_People_Behind_the_Astronauts.html<br/>- https://www.space.com/42705-cosmonauts-spacewalk-soyuz-spacecraft-hole.html<br/>ALSO CHECK THIS OUT:<br/>Free NASA ebooks: https://www.nasa.gov/nasa-at-home-e-books</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Bonus: Soundtrack</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The tracks don't correspond to particular chapters - just the overall arc.<br/>Enjoy! &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>you can find me on tumblr at <a href="http://folieassdeux.tumblr.com">folieassdeux</a></p>
<p>yaz and the doctor love each other and i love comments ;)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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